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

I just met the Queen of Crafting!

Oh my God! I just took my picture with Carol Duvall!!!

Yes, complete with jumping up and down in my typical Lauren way!

I turned into a star struck fool! I wet my pants in all the excitment!

It is a great day!

until we meet again,

I say the same thing every year...

IT WAS THE BEST CHA EVER!!!

But it is the truth. I only get to see some people two times a year if I am lucky.

Then there are people that you meet in between those times and you finally get to meet them face to face.

I had a blast.

Did I tell you that I met Carol Duvall!!!  Yes, I did I met Carol Duvall!!!

I made a blithering fool of myself. But you have to understand, I grew up on PBS. We had Julia Child, The Galloping Gourmet and The Carol Duvall Show.

Then I was asked to do an infomercial for the Slice. They had a make-up artist. I have not had a make up artist since I was married. She walks away to get something, I open my eyes and there in front of me is Terri O.

You could have blown me over with a feather. Terri O. is the face of CHA. She has a regular show in the Phoenix Area. She is the face of CHA.

Yes, I am still easily star struck. I have only been here crafting for four years, so it just amazes me when people that I see on TV are walking down the aisles at CHA.

Can you tell that I am still giddy?

So I had a blast doing the infomercial. I have to be honest and say that I never held a slice until that moment. The first thing that went through my mind was what if I don't like it. They told me that they wanted me to tell the truth. Oh my!!  Didn't someone give them the rule book about me.

I decided to play it safe and at least go over and see what I was getting into.

====Begin Infomercial====

Can I say that for what it is suppose to do, it does it well.

After I sat with it I realized that it was perfect for my kids. The blade is not exposed, they have to interact with the machine from beginning to end. They get instant results. Oh and I do love not having to deal with the awkward cards that you need to insert.

Now if you want multiple copies for a class, then this is not for you. But for the general crafter and a personal cutting device that is kid friendly and easy to use, I like it.

====End Infomercial=====

Oh my and then I read my blog with some of the funniest women crafters that I know. Crafty Chica, Margot Potter, Sarah Hodson and Sarah Moore all read blog entries.

Yes, I read the day that I split my pants in the gym and the one where I am all out of sorts.

It was fun we laughed. I had so much fun at the Supershow. It was a bit overwhelming with all of the people and the kids. It made me miss home and my kids.

So I did not stay very long after. I drove back home and realized how blessed I am to have so many wonderful, crafty women in my life.

I could have never planned this life for myself. I am loving it. I have found that when you do what you love you love to do it all the time.

So now off to clean my house that has gone unattending for a week. I only have about three loads of laundry and a sanp the whip on the kids to get their rooms cleaned.

School starts in less than a week. Chi-Chi is riding the bus to first grade. Oh my they grow up so quickly.

Where did the summer go? It was just a few days ago, they had just gotten out of school.

until we meet again,

Come join me at the Crafty Cafe!

The Diva of Glitter herself, The Crafty Chica aka Kathy Cano-Murillo asked me to participate in the Crafty Cafe.

I got an email from Kathy asking if I was going to be at the show. Well, even if I wasn't, I was now. I had no idea what I had signed up for, but I figured even if it involved nudity, I would do it if Kathy was doing it.

No, nothing that exciting. But it is even more fun!!

On Friday between 2.00pm and 3.00pm a group of Crafters will be reading excerpts from their blogs!

Here is the write up from the CHA website:

Crafty Storytellers: Inspiring, Comical & Entertaining Tales as told by full-time Craftaholics!

Sit down, relax and be ready to laugh as popular crafty bloggers share their stories about living life as a professional artist. From hilarious craftastrophes to family memories to the quest for the golden glue gun - they've lived it and are now sharing the details!

Immediately, I start to think which blog entries should I read. I thought about my etching on copper and the crazy process that started this madness. 

I thought about some of my entries that are specific to crafting. I did not realize that in the past almost two years, I have blogged more than my fair share and choosing would be hard.

So I started calling around and asking folks which two entries did they want me to read out loud and in public.

Well, apparently, I was a bit off. No one really cares about my crafting stuff.

One of my friends specifically said, "that stuff is B-O-R-I-N-G compared to the crazy that goes on in my house".

Nope, she wants me to read My Big Girl Moment in the Gym and I am all out of sorts today...

I have had a few requests for when Ziggy found his penis.

I need some help.

Tell me which ones you want me to read and based on the comments to this post, I will read those entries out loud.

My friends are going to tape it with my Flip camera and I promise to post it to the blog.

until we meet again,

CHA here I come!

Where did all the time go??

I really thought that I was going to have more time to get my life in order before CHA.

I just finished making all my samples for the Tattered Angels booth. I love them!

Yes, they did come out nice. Of course, you are going to have to touch them because the colors and texture can not be given any true justice without an up close and personal look and feel. So make sure that you get to the booth and check them out.

There are new stamps, colors and all kinds of good stuff coming and just when you thought that you could only spray this stuff.

until we meet again,

And the Winner is....

I have enough flowers for everyone.

I will box them up and have them ready to go out next week.

Kris, Tami and Tisha send me your snail mail address to my email.

You were only 6 flowers apart!

It was great. I had to laugh at some of the guesses.

To all my peeps who just came by to see what crazy stuff I had on my blog for the week, Thanks!

To all my peeps who sent me all the crazy email begging to know what they were, Thanks!

To all my silent peeps who just came and hung out for the laugh, Thanks!!

until we meet again,

The Answers to the Flowers REVEALED!!!

OK, so you have hung in there with me thorough all the flowers.

Here are the answers.

If you click on the photo or put you mouse over it the answer will show up.

I am now off to re-read posts and I will let you know who won!!

   

until we meet again,

I had a blast at CHA!!

Oh my goodness!!  Where do I start??

I am floating so high from all of the great energy that was exuding from the most amazing people.

Ok, so let me start from the beginning...

The Designer Showcase was great!  I went with what I had made. I must admit that I always have these grand plans of what I am going to be able to accomplish. As the time gets closer and closer, life starts to just get in the way and plans get changed.

I had originally wanted to make 15 sets of cards. Then it was 10 sets. I set up my Showcase with a total of 10 cards - 5 sets. 

It worked out great! I used lentils and rice to hold the cards up on the table. It was perfect.

I had wanted to put up a nice backdrop made out of acrylic, I even had the acrylic shipped. It just did not happen, but I was still excited at how it looked.

Demoing on the show floor is exhausting. Not only do you lose your voice, but by the time the show is over, you are so beat.

I ran from one booth to the next. Next year, I do not want to pack my schedule as full.

The Eco-lounge was fun. So many people came by the table to see and touch all of the flowers. I had a crowd that was 5 people deep. Most just passed the flowers around and tried to guess what materials I used to cut them.

I had a fabulous time in the GlueFoil Booth. I love that stuff. I love how it works with anything that I can think. I had such a great time with these fabulously talented people at the booth.

I got to see Rebecca Peck, Bernie Berlin and Kelly Snelling. Kelly Snelling signed her A Charming Exchange: 25 Jewelry Projects To Create & Share book for me. Oh how much fun is that.  I acted just as dumb as I did with Bernie Berlin. But it was FUN!!!

I was also in the Amate Studios booth. WHile I know that everyone knows them for the bezels, I love the handmade bark paper. I used i ton a number of the cards th I had done for my Desinger Showcase.

Then I went to the Sizzix Booth to demo.. Let me just say this... They gave me a clip on microphone and told me I could do anything. I did and I shocked the powers that be...

I got very little time to just walk the floor, but what I did get to see, I enjoyed.

I met Margot Potter. No one told me that she was more fun in person than I could have ever imagine.

I hugged the Crafty Chica. I hope some of her glitter drama rubbed off on me. I need as much glitter drama as I can get.

I met Donna Downey. We were separated at birth. She is from NJ and I am too. She moved to the South and so did I. So see we were separated at birth.

I met my idol Anna Griffin. I used only her paper when I first started scrapbooking. Anna Girffin was the one who taught me how to use my craft kinife rather than a paper trimmer.

I got to Schmooze with Suze Weinberg. I just love her spunk and personality. Love it Love it Love it!!!

I promise to post the answers to the flowers tomorrow and announce the winner.

until we meet again,

CHA and all my Peeps...

Yesterday was a busy day.  I spent most of the day running from here to there.

I could not seem to hold on to anything. I was dropping and losing things all day.

I lost all of my Press Kit CDs. Come to find out that they had fallen under the table at the Helmar Booth.

I left my notebook at the ketchup counter and a Retailer found it.

Wow, I am glad that my shoulder are attached to my head, because I would have lost those too.

But, most of all, I had a blast just doing what I do.

So who did I just happen to run into...

 My first photo of the day was with my very first paper celebrity Anna Griffin. I reminded her that we spoke on QVC in December of 2003.  Like she would remember...  Nope, she just laughed and thought that I had lost my mind.

Then Donna Downey was walking past and you know that she is from NJ and moved to the south just like me.  So she says Cauw-fee too! I took a photo with her and tweeted immediately. Oh that was so much fun!!

Then Bernie Berlin and all her peeps came by to say hello to me at the Cardstock Warehouse Booth. If I had just a smidgen of the raw talent that she has in her pinky finger in my whole body, yall would be calling me Picassa.

The last part of the day I at the Sizzix booth showing what I do with my Machine.  OK, first, for the record, and to all those who may ever want to work with me in near future or far future.

If you tell me that I can do anything I want, then I will probably do something to shock you or something that I probably should not do but it works for me and I do it.

Well, let me just say this, I shocked the Jules, I think I made her pee her pants. But there was a bunch of wow factor and they liked the things that I did with machine.

No, I did not get my picture taken with Paris Hilton. First she showed up two hours late and second the line to meet her started forming at 1.00pm for her 3.30 appearance.

I had things to do.  Yep, I did I did.

until we meet again.

I'm at CHA. Where are you??

I am at CHA and it starts today!!  This is going to be a really really big show.

Could you hear Ed Sullivan in my voice. 

The Designer Showcase Meet and Greet went very well. It is always nice to be able to see old peeps and get to know new ones.

I was pleasantly surprised at the number of Editors, Manufacturers and Publishers that came through so early in the show.

Anyway, if you are on the floor or plan on coming to the show, come by and see me. 

Here is my schedule:

Sunday 1/25/2009   
9.00am to 5.00pm .......... Designer Showcase Room 303 ABC
9.00am to 12.00noon .......... Cardstock Warehouse Booth #1772
3.00pm to 4.30 pm .......... Sizzix Stage Event Booth #1959, 1969
   
Monday 1/26/2009   
12.00pm to 1.00pm .......... Eco-Lounge Make & Take
2.00pm to 5.00pm .......... Cardstock Warehouse Booth #1772
   
Tuesday 1/27/2009   
9.00am to 11.00am .......... Streuter Technologies Booth #1235
12.00pm to 1.00pm .......... Eco-Lounge Make & Take
2.00pm to 5.00pm .......... Cardstock Warehouse Booth #1772
   
Wednesday 1/28/2009   
9.00am to 12.00 noon .......... Amante Studios Booth #2501

I need to freshen up for the long day ahead. I will tweet when I can.

until we meet again,

More flowers for your garden...

This is the second to last installment of flowers.

Enjoy!

until we meet again,