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

Thanks for braving the tornado warnings!!

I just wanted to say thanks to everyone who drove in the downpours and came out Saturday for the class at the Suwanee Public Library.

We had a great time.

I met some great women and had fun in the process.

I love teaching workshop types of classes.  I love watching everyone with the same set of supplies create such unique projects.

Even down to their choices of books. 

We painted, stamped, collaged, painted some more, used bubble wrap, ripped pages, and sprayed and painted even more.

We had a great time. In the rain with the tornado warnings.

until we meet again,

Free Class = Good Times + Crafting in the Rain

Altered Book Workshop—

Learn how to make an Altered Book

Saturday, March 28, 2009
1:30 - 3:00 pm

Gwinnett County Public Library
Suwanee Branch
361 Main Street in Suwanee

Free workshop open to the public.
No registration required.

Seating is limited to 30 participants.

Wow, I can't believe that week is already gone and the class is tomorrow.

If you are looking for something fun to do, COME and HANG!

If you are looking for something fun to do on a rainy day, COME and HANG!

If you have no plans tomorrow, it is rainy and you need something fun to do, COME and HANG!

I have been cleaning up my craft room all day and putting things into water tight containers.

This class is also kid friendly. So if you want to bring your favorite crafty little person, COME and HANG!

I am bringing all kinds of things that are fun to work with, kid friendly and non-toxic.

Yes, I need to say that because we all know that I can find myself elbow deep into some really interesting combinations.

Oh and did I mention that it was FREE!!

See you tomorrow!!

until we meet again,

I'm in the Glitter!!

I am a glitter girl. I do not know when the transformation took place. It is true, I love glitter.

While I was at a convention in North Carolina, I passed by the Sparkle & Sprinkle booth. I spent all of my money on glitter and I have not looked back.

They manufacturer ultra fine specialty glitter and embossing powder. The colors are like nothing I have ever seen before. 

They are deep rich tones. They come in opaque and semi-transparent.

The woman who mixes the colors worked for Sherwin Williams, the paint company.

So, I accepted an invite to join their team of Designers. Like I would ever say NO to glitter.

I'm off to go play with my electrical tools and make something. Yes, it is something with glitter.

until we meet again,

Count it with me 1-2-3 days

That's right, I said three days until the FREE class at the Library!!

I have started to clean up my craft room and get things packed up for Saturday.

While I do not like having to clean up after a big mess, I have learned to turn it into a game.

It is as if I get to search through this too full, cluttered, busting out of the walls, stepping over piles room.

If I really try hard, I can actually see it as an adventure. You know how it is...

You are in the middle of a project and you have fires to stomp out while making sure that the kids are bathed, fed and all around happy people.

Or when you think that you are almost done, but you cant find the one thing that you promised. You know you have it because you remember seeing it, but you put it away to the point of hiding it from yourself.

Even better, you find something else that you need three projects ago and you say "Damn" and put it back in the same spot thinking that *this* time you will remember and you forget again.

I feel like Grandpa from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and he is dressed and going to India (the outhouse).

Wish me luck!

until we meet again,

Free Class...4 days and counting!!

I am so excited about Saturday!!

If you are interested, there is an International Society of Altered Book Artists.

ISABA is how I found out about this event. They are a great group of book artists and mixed media artists who are doing some wonderful things to introduce people to altered book making.

So let me say thanks to my good friend Edie Simons. She is the bomb. She was on the Altered Arts Magazine Design Team with me and she is just a super great friend.

I have been getting emails from everyone about the workshop.

So let me say this...

It is really free. You are not required to bring any supplies.

I will have more than enough to share.

If you must bring something, bring a pair of scissors and a glue stick. 
Do you have to NO!!!

If you never leave home without your basic crafting tool kit, then bring it.

This is a comfortable fun class. I do not want anyone to feel obligated to PURCHASE anything.

Please do not wear your Sunday going to church clothes. We are going to be spraying, painting, gluing, stamping, and having an all around good time with ripping and tearing paper.

OK, so that should take care of all the questions.

until we meet again,

CALENDAR ALERT:

Altered Book Workshop—

Learn how to make an Altered Book

 

Saturday, March 28, 2009

1:30 - 3:00 pm

 

Gwinnett County Public Library

Suwanee Branch

361 Main Street in Suwanee

 

Free workshop open to the public.

  No registration required.

Seating is limited to 30 participants.

About the Workshop…

Calling all artists…Attend this free workshop and learn how to make your very own Altered Book.

What is an Altered Book?  It is any old book that has been recycled by creative means into a work of art. Library books are not to be used for this project.

Developing an Altered Book begins with an old book that is on its way to the recycling center. Altered Books can be cut, folded, or rebounded for an artistic effect. Glue, paint, collage, rubber stamping, and cut/tear techniques are all used to develop an Altered Book. Embellishments such as beads, game pieces, and photographs may be added. For examples, visit www.alteredbookartists.com, www.creativity-portal.com, or search “Altered Books” online. Also, the library collection includes books on altered art and altered books.

Participants may enter artwork into the Altered Book contest. Submissions are due to any Gwinnett Library branch by April 10. Hudgens Center for the Arts will judge the artwork later this spring, and selected artwork will be honored and on exhibit at Hudgens for the public to view.

The Altered Book contest is a tribute to Love Your Library Week, which runs from April 12-18, in conjunction with National Library Week. Love Your Library Week is a week-long celebration of Gwinnett County’s library, librarians and community supporters. 

About the Artist…

Lauren Ferguson is a nationally recognized mixed-media artist and instructor who lives outside of Atlanta.  As an imaginative designer, she works with a wide variety of craft company and paper arts manufacturers.  Lauren was the featured artists in Mary Engelbreit's Home Companion in Oct/Nov 2008. She is regularly published in Altered Arts Magazine.  More of her work can be seen on her blog at http://www.everythingaltered.com/.

March Mix: Tattered Angels and Crafty Secrets

In the beginning of the month, Tattered Angels asked the Design Team to work with some of the Crafty Secrets products.

After receiving a wonderful box of goodies from both companies, I had to get to working.

I made this class for inpsired with Donna Downey. Go check it out and if you are in the area come and hang with me at night.

Well then I decided to go to the Crafty Secrets website. Oh why did I do that. Saturday afternoon in my mail is a sample of the Cotton Scraps. I could not resist, I had to make another ATC using it.

First let me say that I love the fact that they keep the paper on the back of the image so that you can cut and fray the edges to your liking.

I love how the fabric takes ink and I love that the liquid adhesive does not run through when you adhere it down.

Supplies:
Tattered Angels
Owl Glimmer Chip (Nature), Glimmer Glass (small scrap piece for the belly), Glimmer Mist (Iridescent Gold), Tree Stamp (Nature)

Crafty Secrets
Cotton Scraps (Summer) and Creative Scraps (Calendar)

Sparkle n Sprinkle
Blue Lightening Glitter

Staz-On
Opaque White and Jet Black Solvent Ink

The other ladies that are posting today are:

Lisa Zappa
Linda Duke
Trisha Ladouceur

until we meet again,

What a difference a day makes

Well it has been a fabulous and wonderful day.

It is official Mr. Du has lost his first tooth. He is only 4. He did not know what to do with it so he threw it in the trash.

His school was so concerned that they called and asked me what did I want to do. Now maybe I am crazy, but I jumped in my car with rubber gloves in hand to search the trash and find my kids tooth.

What are you kidding me??

No Poop, No Puke and not even a little bit of trash is going to stop me from getting my boy's first tooth.

Now I may not be able to find it after the night is over, but I am sure as hell going to put it under his pillow... Stinky and all.

Oh how they turn and grow up so quickly.

until we meet again,

Free Class on Altered Books!!

Would you believe how the world goes round. The Gwinnett Public Library is offering a free class to the public to help kick off their Altered Book Contest.

I will be teaching an Altered Books Workshop Saturday, March 28, 2009 from 1:30—3:00 pm at the Suwanee Branch Public Library (361 Main Street, Suwanee, Ga 30024).

I am so excited. It is a 90 minute class. The Library is donating all the books.

This is a really big step for a Library.

I was a Medical Librarian before I went to Harvard. I worked at the AIDS Library of Philadelphia as my first job out of Library School.  And that was in the day when the Internet and CD-Rom storage was so controversial.

Can you even remember microfiche?  Oh how I hated having to search with the crazy backwards reader.

AND DID I MENTION THAT THE CLASS IS FREE!!

We are going to make two great book spreads. All you have to do is show up. I will have everything there.

=============================================
Here is the class description...

Discover the world of Altered Books!!
What is an Altered Book and why alter a book in the first place? What kind of book is best for altering? Are there any rules? Altered books have been defined as "any book, old or new that has been recycled by creative means into a work of art."

Starting with a book base, you can add your own creative expressions through rubber stamping, scrapping, collage, and anything that you can think.

Discover the creative freedom altered books provide and how to get started. Learn how to prep a book and create two stunning page designs during class.
=============================================

So come and hang out with me for the afternoon. Space is limited to the first 30.

Bring your creativity and I will bring the glue stick.

until we meet again,

The truth about Disney...

According to me.  Now, first let me say that I believe in happily ever after.

I have seen it in others. It has come to me in fleeting flashes of light every now and then.

But all in all, I am a believer.

Having said that... Disney is not a vacation it is a JOB!!!

It is seven days of complete and utter indulgence in the Peter Pan myth of Neverland and never wanting to grow up. 

It is a safe and happy place... for kids.

As a parent, it is a money pit. And I fall every single time I go there. I fall harder than Alice did in Wonderland. At least when she fell, she was not completely and financially broke.

I fall into the wanting to indulge and not wanting to grow up and letting my kids be kids.

Yes, I fall into any and all marketing traps for parents. Popcorn buckets that you can keep forever and use as storage. I have two.

The dressing up for the day in the Magic Kingdom which is proceeded by a visit to Downtown Disney to purchase the whim of the month character costume for each of the kids.

Fighting the crowds for the best fireworks spots while praying that your kids don't melt down in public and turn you into that horrible parent that everyone shakes their finger at and whispers about while pointing to you in the crowd.

Chi-Chi says that she can watch Tinkerbell fly on a string at Magic Kingdom. At Epcot she gets to watch the world open up.

Me personally I love the fireworks at Epcot, so we go to see them twice.

But Magic Kingdom and the Castle are just what I remember from watching the Variety Show as a child.

So all in all, I survived. I came home with all of my children.

I told my parents that I think we need to leave Disney alone for the next 5 or 50 years and take a look into going to the Grand Canyon or seeing Yosemite.

A place that truly embodies the true meaning of vacation -- stress free.

until we meet again,