Lauren Ferguson | There are no mistakes in art, just opportunites to embellish. (tm)

Clearly Crazy...

And now I am done. I promise. I think that I have exhausted all of my acrylic options. I am not sure that there is anything else that is pre manufactured into a shape or something that I cut on my own that is made from acrylic that I have not put my hands on in the past two months.

Would you believe that I was able to fit 11 count them with me ELEVEN photos on this album.

I made this to give to my mother. Especially since I put some photos on the album.

Some ink, a few flowers, bling, acrylic paint and a few charms...  Stir it together and you get a mini acrylic album.

Here are a few other photos. Click on them to get a larger image.

Yes, Chi-Chi is such a camera hog. She loves posing. Do you think that we watch a bit too much America's Next Top Model?  Ya Think.

until we meet again,

More flowers for your garden...

Here are some more flowers for you to pick through.

Can I say that even though I have cut them, I still have to double take to make sure that they are what they are. A few are still stumping me even after having put them away for a bit.

Make your best guess... Click on the images for a larger view.

Here are the links for the previous posts if you would like to see those done so far.
Day 1

until we meet again,

Somebody stop me!!

A few months back, I made what I thought was going to be my very last acrylic album.

I mean that I had publicly made it know that I was NEVER going to touch the stuff again, I was worn out. I was beat up, I was just done.

Then all of the sudden, I am acrylic happy again. I swore I was never going to touch the stuff again. 

Well, I got the bug. I was asked to make some class samples using Prima Marketing Stuff.

Oh My Heavens, why did I look through the catalog and see the black acrylic.

Then I surfed the web to see if anyone was doing anything with black acrylic. Not a no one not a nobody.

Well, then as far as I was concerned it was on.  I jumped at it!!  Something pretty, something fru fru, you know lace and pretty and nice.

Some bling, some stamps and a few flowers later, this is what you get...

Yes, that is black acrylic. It is just stunning to work with. It is semi transparent so it looks almost a smoky gray. Prima also has a red acrylic album. I was drawn to this one... I wonder why... Yep, don't like red.

And this is the inside back cover. I just could not resist.

I have to say that I love to stamp. I am someone who likes to use stamps as embellishments or an after thought. Kinda like "Oh, a stamp would look good right there". This time, I stamped first not knowing what the end result was going to be.

If I had to say anything about this acrylic book, it is simply perfect. I would not have wanted to add or do anything different.

OK, so here are a few close-ups. Just click on the photos to get a larger image.

until we meet again,

Getting Ready for CHA!! So lets have some FUN!

Oh how time flies when you are having fun.

CHA this season is going to be great. The theme is "It is Easy Being GREEN". 

Can I say that I feel like they purposefully chose this theme for me!! 

So before I go any further let me thank the powers that be for picking this year's theme just for me.  I hope that they had my picture right there and asked the very simple question, "How can we make Lauren do the happy dance?"

Oh but I digress...

I am absolutely loving the theme and have jumped in on the deep end.  So let me tell you all the things that I will be doing at the show.

First, there is the Designer Showcase. I am going to display this show. I did not display in Chicago. I would tell you more, but I have not even started my Showcase, so there really is not a bunch to tell. Oh, and when you go to the link, the table that the gentlemen are standing over is MINE!! Yep, that was Winter CHA 2008.

Second, Ellison will be hosting their very first "Sizzix on Stage". For the very FIRST time, Ellison is going to make space available to licensed designers and key designers/manufacturer friends in the industry to help promote their products being used with Sizzix products.  This area and event will have a theme of “How do you use Sizzix?”  The entire space is dedicated to this concept of providing a forum to people in the industry to show how they create and how they use Sizzix with their paper, metal, fabric, wood, chipboard or whatever.  I would love to tell you more, but once again, I have not figured out what I am going to do, so there is not much to tell.

Third, I have met some of the most entertaining paper guys on the planet. Cardstock Warehouse Paper Co., Inc. has a line of 100% recycled textured cardstock in the most fabulous colors. I am not sure if y'all are aware that generally paper is not 100%. Most commercial recycled paper meets the 30% minimum. So I am decking out their booth and demoing at the show with them.  What an exciting opportunity. I even did some really cute back to my roots scrapbook pages. I will post them later.

OK, so now for the fun...

Finally, Designer Members of CHA were invited to create a GREEN display of some sort. I decided to go all out with the theme and create a display of die cut flowers from over 80 different household items that would have normally been thrown in the trash. 

Are you feeling the whole life, green thing going on. Yes, I know it is hokey, but it is working for me.

I used the Sizzix Flowers Layers #4 die.

I have cut everything and anything that I could find lying around the house. At one point, I decided that since I could not fit any more flowers on the frames it was time to stop. But I could have kept going.

Now for the fun...

I am going to post photos of the flowers each day until the show. The person who can guess what each flower is cut from correctly the most wins!

The lucky person will receive a box of hand made over the top Green Garden Greetings from me right after the show.

The Rules are simple:

1. Post your answers to the comments of each blog entry.

2. At the end of CHA, I will post the answers to each flower.

3. Who ever has the most will wins.

For those who are going to ask all the questions that can be asked. Yes, if you want to change your answers just add another comment and change them. You can only change your answer once for each blog entry.

And please, let's not complicate ice cubes. The rules are the rules.

OK, so lets get started...

Here are the first four flowers. Click on the photo for a larger image.

 

 

Good Luck!!

Don't forget to check back daily.

Even if you start later, you can still play!

until we meet again,

Happy Holidays!! One and all!

Oh my what a hectic few weeks.

Things have been so crazy with the holidays and Eji being gone.

Christmas is a JOB! And that is all that I have to say about that.

I have been busy with everything.

Thank goodness that the holidays are over.

The kids had a great time and we are now off to do the Day after Christmas shopping.

I hope that you have enjoyed your holidays.

until we meet again,

Happy Birthday to Me!!

****Warning!!! Spew Alert!!!!****  ****Warning!!! Spew Alert!!!!****  ****Warning!!! Spew Alert!!!!****  ****Warning!!! Spew Alert!!!!****  ****Warning!!! Spew Alert!!!!****  ****Warning!!! Spew Alert!!!!****

Yes, today is my 43rd birthday. It was not until recently that birthdays became a time of reflection.

This only started in the past 5 years...  Then it hits me.  I have children.  Those kids change your life forever.

I immediately became old. Yes, but I say that with a bit of pride. I am wise, I can honestly look at my kids and say to them "Because I know better and you don't."

So please be clear aging does have it benefits.

Oh, but I digressed. 

So this morning I wake up, the kids have once again managed to sneak into my bed in the middle of the night and practically push me on the floor.

And they do not come in until that last 2 hours or REM sleep to start the I want breakfast thing. You know that howling that kids make when they are hungry and the sun has not come up just yet.

Ok, so I woke up this morning and told the kids that it was my birthday.

Oh the chorus of "Happy Birthday to you, you live in a zoo... You look like a monkey and you smell like one toooooo!!!" is still ringing in my head.

My husband calls to wish me Happy Birthday, it is a really good morning so far.

Then it happens, that thing ...

My daughter says to me "Mama how old are you?"

Now I am debating do I tell her the truth and have to start that old conversation with her or do I make up something funny and push her along. It is 7.30am. We still have 30 minutes. Oh lets just jump in and get it over...

"I'm 43. Why do you ask?"
"43!!  43!!!  43!!!"
"Yep, I am 43."

"Mama you are so old. Oh my do you know how old 43 is. I don't. How do you do it?"

So now for the speech...

"Chi-Chi, Getting older is not that bad. You make it sound like it is not fun. You get to have fun along the way. You will be able to drive and vote. You will have great opportunities to do great stuff and have great memories.

You will be able to have a family of your own one day and share all those wonderful experiences."

Just like at 5 year old, she looks at me and says with the just tell me the truth look, "Mama you have to tell me, does getting old hurt?"

I of course go on to explain that somethings in life are painful but we grow and live through them.

She stops me in mid sentence and says "No Mama does it hurt?"

Oh my all I could do was laugh.  And I looked at her and said,"Yes, my back is killing me every time I big you up and carry you down the stairs for breakfast. Yes, my hands are starting to get stiff every time I have to put together another piece of Ikea furniture for your room. Yes, my eyes are starting to go bad and I need my reading glasses at night to make sure that we get through the Christmas Carol in time for Santa. Yes Chi Chi, getting old does hurt, sometimes."

Without missing a beat she says, "But all that stuff is fun! Do you think that it is worth it?"

And I responded, "A-B-S-O-L-U-T-E-L-Y!"

I look at my iPhone and realize it is 10 minutes to 8 and we now need to rush. So I tell her to hurry and get ready so that we will not be late. 

She say to me "Why?"

And I just said, "Because I am your Mama and I said so, Now Hurry Up or we will be late for school. Run!"

Getting old has its graces.

until we meet again,

Our First Official Letter to Santa

Oh it has been a busy few weeks.

My DH left for Nigeria on Thursday, Thanksgiving Day. I have been a single parent for the past two weeks.

It has been a very busy time. I cleaned out my garage.

Oh my the garage looked worse than my basement. I had over 60 large black lawn bags full of cloths.

It was so bad that the guys at the Goodwill Truck Donation stop asked me stop bringing stuff until the next day.

But the truth of the matter is that I have finally gotten my garage back. I will be able to park my car in the garage again by Thursday night.

I have only two large pieces in my garage and they will be out by next weekend.

And then today, Chi Chi wrote her very first letter to Santa today.

She wants a new dog. It actually says that she wants a puppy but she will take a puppet.

She even has promised Santa to feed the reindeer carrots and to give him cookies and milk.

I have to admit that I am getting into the Holiday Spirit.

I am going to drag the tree out and have it set up tomorrow when the kids come home from school.

I want to have it decorated and ready for the gifts which I have not purchased yet under the tree in the next few days.

All is well here, just need to find the Mojo Fairy and get some work done in my craft room.

until we meet again,