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

Single Head of Household

Oh my it has been an interesting week.

I have been making samples for classes and getting pieces ready for every kinda thing imaginable.

But I need to let y'all know that raising kids is rough.

I really did not know what I was getting into.

Each day brings wonderful new adventures... Yeah right, that all sounds good, until they come into your craft room and spill all of your paint on the floor and start finger painting on projects that need to be photographed and shipped.

Yeah, it all sounds good until you realize that the sponges on all of your sponge brushes have been pulled off and "used" to make a "thing" with your favorite liquid adhesive.

Yeah it all sounds good until you go into the craft room and realize that at that very moment, something is not right, you can't put your finger on it but you know something is wrong...

then it hits you...

They have taken your last piece of patterned paper, cut it up into little squares, glued them on to each other and are calling it "Sponge Bob".

That is just wrong on so many levels.

They don't even get to watch Sponge Bob in my house.

But there is relief in sight. I scream upstairs and tell my husband...

"COME AND GET YOUR KIDS BEFORE I SELL THEM TO THE CIRCUS!!!"

"COME AND GET YOUR KIDS BEFORE I [you fill in the blank]."

There is a relief that you get when you can actually stop yourself from killing them because you can push them off on the other homosapien who helped to produce them.

It is a relief to know that when I have had my fill of parenting and need to get a break, I can just yell upstairs...

"IF YOU DON'T COME GET THESE KIDS [you fill in the blank]."

I have to say that I do not know how all my friends who are Single Head of Households do it without losing their mind, biting off their tongue or causing permanent psychological damage to themselves and others.

Think about it a Single Head of Household raised The President of the United States.

So the next time that I am complaining about some crazy life experience which I got stuck cleaning up the mess... I am going to remember just how hard it could be.

So to all my SINGLE HEAD OF HOUSEHOLD friends, I take my hat off to you.

Three day weekends are hell no matter who you are.

until we meet again,

Is Personality Genetic?

OMG, I am raising a mini-me! My daughter and I are EXACTLY alike. And she is a hand full.

I have been in denial about this fact. I have actually had discussions about this with friends and family. I have denied, screamed and stomped my feet in defense of myself.

Let me tell you what happened...

I pick the kids up from school, dinner is ready on the table when we get home and I am thinking this is a great day...

They eat, I cut an apple and send them on their merry ways while I take care of Mama stuff in the kitchen.

I set the dishwasher to run and off I go upstairs anticipating my time watching Cash Cab with the kids, followed by an hour of How its Made.

I walk into my bedroom and there is my daughter in all her glory. She has propped up the pillows, starting eating her apple and turned to the Disney Channel.

Hold up wait a minute, I want to watch Cash Cab. I have a bowl of apples, I even have a drink that I might share with her if she is nice to me.

After some back and forth conversation about what is happening, she decides that she is not going to her room and she wants to watch it in my room.

I am not in the mood to argue, so I leave with the mama warning. "Don't come down stairs to the basement, because if you do you will go right to bed. I will be back after my shows are over."

Off I go and watch my shows, the kids go to bed and life goes on.

Well just the very next day, we go thru the whole routine all over again.

The kids go upstairs and I get to cleaning the kitchen. All the sudden out of no where she starts screaming "GET OUT OF MY ROOM!!!  GET OUT NOW!!!"

Blood curdling screams, I have her come downstairs and this is the conversation...

What is the problem? Why are you screaming like that!

I want the boys to get out of my room.

What did they do to you? What did they not do to you? Why do you want them out?

I want to be alone. It is my room and I want my privacy!

OH HELL NO!!

I took this as the time for what the books call the teachable moment.

My mother called it the time when she would let me know that there is room for only one Bitch in her house and it was not me.

I then said...

You went in my room, turned my TV and then told me what we were watching. How does it feel to have your space taken over and have no say.

How dare you want me to DEFEND your privacy when you cannot RESPECT mine.

I will defend yours until my dying days when you learn to respect mine.

So the first way for this new process to start is for you to sleep in your own room and stop roaming into mine in the middle of the night.

You will stop bringing all of your toys, dolls and other kid activities into my room. And if you do bring them in you will take them out when you leave.

You will remember to knock on the bathroom door before you turn the knob. Then and only then will I even lift a finger to make your privacy a priority.

Apparently she has heard me. She has not roamed in three nights.

Oh my this kid thing is going to kick my butt. I have not even begun to contemplate the teen years. I am struggling with 6 let alone 16.

until we meet again,

Fiskars sighting in Greenville, SC

As I was driving home from inspired this past weekend, I decided to randomly start dialing my friends and wishing them a Happy Mother's Day.

Rebecca Peck is on her way out the door to you guessed it Greenville, SC. I am as close to Greenville as I am to the Airport.

So I told her that I would see her on Tuesday.  Well, Monday comes and goes, Tuesday is almost over and at 3.15pm I am on the phone and BAM...

You guessed it I remembered. Called my mom and worked it all out.

Next thing I know I am on my way to hang with the ladies for a Fiskar Meet and Greet.

I had a blast we decorated cup cakes and made the most wonderful beaded things to identify our scissors.

I can keep on and I *must* RAK the other.  Can I say that I love it. I love the fact that they require that you give someone else a smile.

Now, yes, I am going to keep my Fiskateer bling iron on that I won in the drawing.

The time that I got to spend seeing old friends and making new ones was worth the hour north drive.

until we meet again,

Happy Mother's Day!!

Let me be the first to wish you a Happy Mother's Day!

Yes, it is early, but I still have two more classes to teach tonight and then I am driving home so that I can sleep in my bed on Mother's Day and get my now 6 year traditional breakfast in bed made by the kids.

Yesterday was one happy moment after another.

While I was in the hotel room reading my email, I got an email from Karen Michel the author of Green Guide for Artists. She told me that the book was officially out!

I am a contributing artist in the guest artist gallery!

This is just so exciting.

I etched nine pieces of copper using Sizzix shapes. I cut them up and turned them into a wall hanging.

I absolutely love it! 

It was a late night last night but it was fantastic.

The ladies brought the Mojo Fairy and we crafted until our eyes burned. I was creatively worn out.

I slept well and now I am off to do it again.

What a life!

until we meet again,

I'm at Inspried!!

Can I tell you that no matter what anyone says life is very simple.

It is all about the energy that you give off to the universe. If you give off good, you get good in return.

I have been able to witness what a smile can do to someone's day.

Yesterday I got in my car and drove to Concord, NC. I had a blast on the way up.

I chatted with my good friend Cat Confer for most of the ride. We laughed like we have not laughed in months.

Actually that is a lie, Cat and I laugh on the phone every time we talk. I am amazed at how much we laugh which is why we stay on the phone. Oppss, but I am digressing.

I get to the Concord Convention Center, pick up my welcome pack. And realize that I have an hour to unpack the car and get the class room set up.  So off I go on Cloud 9.

I start to unpack the car and I realize that I have forgotten my Ranger Design Team Apron. Oh my I am now without an apron.

I know this sounds crazy, but my apron is my security blanket. I never teach without it.

So off I go with boxes in hand and find out that there is an AC Moore just up the street! Yippee, I am going to get an apron and life is all good.

While making my second trip back to the car, I saw a woman with the most amazing apron on. It was white and long. I mean down to her ankles long. I ran up to her and asked where did she get her apron.

Of course, she brought it from home. With disappointment in my eyes and my resolution to make the trip AC Moore, she takes off her apron and gives it to me.

THAT'S RIGHT, SHE TOOK IT OFF AND JUST GAVE IT TO ME. OH MY KARMA!!  I AM NOW IN HEAVEN. NOT ONLY DO I HAVE AN APRON, BUT I HAVE THE MOST AWESOME LONG WHITE, DO WHAT YOU WANT TO DO WITH ME APRON IN THE WORLD.

With my heart full of apron joy, I go off to teach my class and it was the bomb!

It was relaxing and simply fun!

I had a fabulous Mexican meal and came back to the hotel for a great nights sleep and a nice relaxing morning.

It's all about the energy.

until we meet again,

NAMTA here I come...

*****This is going to be a long post,
so grab a cup of coffee and sit.*****

I must first start with an artistic caveat. Here goes:

I know that there was a conscious decision on my part to say, yes, I am a designer hear me roar.

But can I tell you that I need to learn to say "No, I am not superwoman, I cannot beat creativity out of me on the dime."

Well, I have been learning all there is to learn about pleating these past five days. I have actually mastered four different pleats and my hands and fingers are so raw, it hurts to type.

I will not digress...

I was asked by Grafix to make "something" for their booth at the International Art Materials Trade Association show this coming week in Louisville, Kentucky.

I told them yes, I would make "something".

I have wanted to make a dress form for months. So off I go into my own little world. I purchase the dress form and wait for the box of stuff from Grafix.

Oh My Heavens!!! What have I gotten myself into?

You know that you cannot commit to anything without a plan. I learned that from the moment I entered the world. My Dad always told me a to have a Plan A and a Plan B.

So here is the run down of all the plans.

Plan A:
Print on the colored Clear-Lay.
Run it thru the old paper shredder to get strips.
Leave an inch uncut at top and adhere to dress form in layers.

Note to Self: You cannot print on Clear-Lay.

Plan B:
Run Clear-Lay thru the old paper shredder to get strips.
Leave an inch uncut at top and adhere to dress form in layers.

Note to Self: You cannot run Clear-Lay thru the paper shredder effectively.

As I am starting to feel the weight of the task at hand getting heavier and heavier, I call my good friend Ann Butler.

Ann and I stay on the phone for over 3 hours. She tells me about the pleaters board.

What is a pleaters board? Yep, that is just what I said.

Ann proceeds to tell me that it is a board made of rubber that allows you to make pleats in fabric.

Here is a great link on what is a pleaters board and how to use it.

Yep, I mean a world of unbelievable newness was just opened, the angels began to sing.

Ann, then says well you can make one on your own and she sends me the link. Oh, I am in heaven. I sit, I make my pleaters board out of heavy duty foil.

I have a new plan.

Plan C:
Pleat strips of Clear-Lay with newly made pleaters board.
Adhere to dress form in layers.

Note to Self: You can't lay Clear-Lay in a pleaters board made out of heavy duty foil, it wont work, trust me on this.

I now have to pleat each and every piece of Clear-Lay by hand using my Scor-it! tool.

By the time I figured out how to fold and score and cut then piece everything together so that there were no seems and tape showing everywhere, I was on to Plan Q.

A few of my girls laughed at my first attempts, but once I got over the learning curves of pleating, I must admit I am very very excited at what came out of me.

If you are going to be at NAMTA, go to booth #710 and take a photo. I would love to see it up. Of course, I want you in the photo too. It would not be the same.

until we meet again,