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

It was like old home weekend...

I had the best time at Scrapbook Expo.  I saw people that I have not seen since last year this time.

I got to demo at the Tattered Angels booth and that was fun. I love to demo more than I like to teach. And we all know that I love to teach. It is fun because I get to see everyone that I would normally miss being stuck in the classroom all day.

Oh I love everyone at Tattered Angels. Kyle, Jeff and Liz are a blessing to work with. I had a blast. We at dinner on Saturday at the Cheesecake Factory. It was fun and we laughed all night long.

Mandie came down for the weekend. Since she has been running the Rusty Pickle Race she has been crazy, so she came down and hung out with me. I got to meet Kim Garner and Kathie Davis from The Rusty Pickle Design Team.

It was like old home weekend...

So as we are packing up the booth, I look over at the dumpster and there are a group of people.

Curiosity killed the cat so why not me.

 I walk over and apparently Advantus decided to throw away all of the Heidi Swapp product that they had left. To make matters worse, they would throw the product in the dumpster then they opened up PINK and WHITE acrylic paint and poured it in between each dump of product.

Now, let me say this...

The reason why they squeezed the paint on the product is because they did not want the other vendors to be able to resell the product. I get that.

My question is why would that be your first gut reaction.

Why would you beleive that your product is so important to others that you would even contemplate destorying it so that no one else could ever benefit from it. And if someone is so in need why not give it away.

I can think of a dozen different reasons off of the top of my head as alternative to simply throwing it in the dumpster.

They could have given it away at the crop. They could have offered it to a local school. They could have given it to one of the local Boys and Girls Club. They could have given it to a Senior Center. They could have even called one of the three local agencies that would have come and packed up the booth and taken all of the product and donated it to any number of places like United Cerabal Palsy Foundation.

ANYWHERE!!!!!!!!!!!!

So in my moral indignation I climbed into the dumpster with all of the paint and product and proceeded to pull all of it out and put it into boxes.

My hands were so full of paint that I had to wait for them to dry so that I could pull the paint off in chunks. My fingers were stuck together. I rubbed my hands over a garbage pail and watched paint fall off. I washed them and clogged up two sinks in the bathroom.

So after a great meal at the Cheesecake Factory, Kathie, Kim, Mandie and I stopped at a Walmart and purchased a plastic drop cloth and boxes and boxes or zip top bags.

We went back to Kim and Kathie's hotel room and began to take all of the packaging off of the product and bag it up.

It was a mess. There was so much paint everywhere. It took us more than four hours from just after midnight to almost 4 am.

Kathie's flight left at 8 am so she stayed up because she was so tired she thought that she would sleep through the alarm.

All I want to say to them is Thank You from the bottom of my heart!!!

You know they could have dropped me and those boxes off at my house and said that this is your fight and gone on about their merry way. 

Most of it was so full of paint that we just had to throw it out. The paint was so caked on that it took two people working together to put it in a bag.

Can you tell how pissed I am? I am not by any means close to being so morally righteous that I cannot see that this is just WRONG WRONG WRONG WRONG WRONG.

So I have dropped some of it off at a place here in my town that can use it for art supplies and one of my tweeps Holly Berlin works with special needs kids.  So I am putting a box of foam stamps and some other stuff that they can use.

Let me say this and then I am going to crawl down off my soap box...

In an economy and time in human history where paying it forward is on the forefront of everyone's mind. People are losing their homes, families are struggling to put food on the table and jobs are hard to find.

All I can say is SHAME ON YOU ADVANTUS, SHAME ON YOU!!!

until we meet again,

Have a Happy Halloween!!!

Just wanted to wish everyone a Happy Halloween. 

My daughter says to me last night, "Mama I like Halloween better than Easter."

Now you think that I would know better than to ask the next obvious question. But no, I had to ask, "Why do you like Halloween better than Easter?"

And without skipping a beat, and in that matter of fact tone, she replies, "You have to work to hard for candy on Easter. At Halloween you just stand there and people give it to you."

She left me speechless.

Oh, this just showed up in my email the other day and I had to share it.

Have a Happy Haunted Day!!

until we meet again,

Voting isn't a Privilege it is a Right Exercise it!

After my husband picked me up from the airport, I answered a few emails and then went upstairs to just wind down from a long four days away.

I kissed the kids good night and whispered into their sleeping ears that Mama was home and I loved them.

I went in my room and he had CNN on the television.

Yes, it was all the crazy things that the media would like us to think are important. As if I really care about her clothes more than the fact that I don't believe that she is qualified for the job.

So we are sitting in the bed and having that conversation about voting day. He asked me why I did not vote early.

I told him that I wanted it to be a very special day for the kids.

I can remember my mother taking me and my brother into the voting booth. She would make her choices and we would pull the big grey handle and then the curtain would open.

I always voted.

I did not realize how that one action made a difference in the way that I thought about my rights.

I never thought that I would not vote. I always voted, it was just what you did. It was a time to be heard.

I always believed that that pull on the handle had a profound impact on Washington.

And then my mom would look up and we would say "Thank you". It was never in a voice any louder than what was needed to be audible.

Of course, being the precocious kids we were, we would say "Your Welcome".

And every time her eyes would well up with tears and we would say "Don't cry Mommy we won't do it anymore".

And every year she would say "Don't you dare stop!"

So this year, I am taking my kids into the booth and I am going to let them pull the grey handle and wait for the curtain to open and I am going to look up and say "Thank you".

It is just amazing how things just seem to come full circle.

until we meet again,

30 Reasons...

Oh how I love to surf the Blogsphere!!! 

I was roaming around the blogs of my fellow Tweeps when I came across this little tidbit at Heidi Rettig's two kitties.

Besides that fact that she is a fabulous artist, I just could not resist passing on the challenge that she passed on.

So here is what she wrote:

"Graphic designers Julia Zimmerman, Chris Thomas and Jesse Arneson are putting the pedal to the metal with the internet campaign, 30 Reasons. Each day, for the next thirty days, the site will publish a download-able poster - a new one every day and free of charge to you.

This one, by designer Chaz Maviyane-Davies is my favorite so far (and mine too). Print them and go guerilla - throw some tape in your bag and make it a goal to put up two each day in a public location."

So I have risen to the challenge. I have printed out my posters. Yes, I admit that I am excessive and took out the duct tape and 20 posters and started putting them up all over anywhere there is a public bulletin board, in the stores, in the markets anywhere that I could fine between here and all my regular errands.

Just love it!  So I challenge you to get a good laugh at the truth and then pass the laugh along. I know that I am a few days late on the swing, but as they say better late than never.

until we meet again,

Exercising my first amendment rights

OK, so this is just a warning to all of you who might get offended by my political ramblings.

Let me say this again, You are probably going to get offended by my political ramblings.

To be real truthful, I am about to piss someone off, but this was just too damn funny not to share.

I got this in an email today. It has taken me over 9 hours to open it because I knew that my friend Cat Confer was going to tempt me once again. Well, Cat you won!!  And you make me laugh all the time.

Well, Well, I fell in the well.  So rather than just keep this little giggle to myself, I decided to exercise my first amendment rights and let you have a laugh too.

Don't hate me because I am beautiful, Just hate me.

until we meet again,

The First Amendment and My Blog, Your Blog and Their Blog...

Today has been a very interesting day.

Someone decided to leave a message on my blog telling me that they did not like what I said about the President and that I should stick to "scrapbooking".

Needless to say, I banned the individual from my blog and removed the post.

Why, because it is my blog and I can do what I want.

But it just amazes me that anyone would think that they are going to go to my spot on the net, come into my world and tell me to shut up.

Oh I don't think so.

Then a few friends and I were speaking about one of my favorite blogs. Scrap Smack.

Now if you want to see people embracing diversity.  Yes, some are angry and some are mad, but they are talking about it.

Yes, some of it is personal and sometimes it can cut hard, and to be truthful, some of it is on the money.

I like to go and read and I sort through what I can understand, sometimes there are too many references to situations and personalities that I do not know.

They are speaking out about it all, the good the bad and the ugly. They are taking no prisoners and they are telling it all.

Yes, they are doing it anonymously, you have a philosophical discussion about that until the cows come home.

Most of it I can see some truth in.  But it is such a wide open place of a bit of everything.

And some of the stuff is just straight crazy. But it makes me laugh and shake my head and guess what....

I keep reading to see what is coming next.

Diversity does not mean that we have to agree, it simply means that I am going to have a forum to speak my piece, and your validation is neither asked for or required.

I can appreciate someone as an artist and never agree with their politics and at that point, I simply chose to disagree. 

So to all who care here are the rules of my blog:

I will say what I want to say on my blog. And if I don't like what you say I will delete your comments, why because I can in my world...

And that is all I have to save about that.

until we meet again,

Happy 4th of July!!!

I just got this in an email from my good friend Cat Confer in Chicago.

Needless to say I will let you make your own judgements... I am off to my Mom's for a BBQ and fireworks.

=========================================

RESUME

GEORGE  W. BUSH
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue Washington, DC 20520

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:

Law Enforcement:
I was arrested in Kennebunkport , Maine ,  in 1976 for driving under the influence of alcohol. I pled guilty, paid a fine, and had my driver's license suspended for 30 days. My Texas driving record has been 'lost' and is not available.

Military:
I joined the Texas Air National Guard and went AWOL. I refused to take a drug test or answer any questions about my drug use. By joining the Texas Air National Guard, &n bsp; I was able to avoid combat duty in Vietnam .

College:
I graduated from Yale University with a low C average. I was a cheerleader.

PAST WORK  EXPERIENCE:

I ran for U.S . Congress and  lost.

I began my career in the oil business in Midland Texas , in 1975. I bought an oil company, but couldn't find any oil in Texas . The company went bankrupt shortly after I sold all my stock.

I bought the Texas Rangers baseball team in a sweetheart deal that took land using taxpayer money.

With the help of my father and our friends in the oil industry (including Enron CEO Ken Lay), I was elected governor of Texas .

ACCOMPLISHMENTS AS GOVERNOR OF � TEXAS :

I changed Texas pollution laws to favor power and oil companies, making Texas the most polluted state in the Union . During my tenure, Houston replaced Los Angeles as the most smog-ridden city in America .

I cut taxes and bankrupted the Texas treasury to the tune of billions in borrowed money.

I set the record for the most executions by any governor in American � history.

With the help of my brother, the governor of Florida , and my father's a ppointments to the Supreme Court, I became President of the United States , after losing by over 500,000 votes.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS AS PRESIDENT:

I am the first President in U.S. history to enter office with a criminal record.

I invaded and occupied two countries at a continuing cost of over one billion dollars per week.

I spent the U.S. surplus and effectively bankrupted the U.S. Treasury.

I shattered the record for the largest annual deficit in U.S. history.

I set an economic record for most private bankruptcies filed in any 12-month period.

I set the all-time record for most foreclosures in a 12-month period.

I set the all-time record for the biggest drop in the history of the U.S. stock market. In my first year in office, over 2 million Americans lost their jobs and that trend continues.

I'm proud that the members of my cabinet are the richest of any administration in U.S. history. My 'poorest millionaire,' Condoleezza R ice, has a Chevron oil tanker named after her.

I set the record for most campaign fund-raising trips by a U.S. President.

I am the all-time U.S. and world record -holder for receiving the most corporate campaign donations.

My largest lifetime campaign contributor, and one of my best friends, Kenneth Lay, presided over the largest corporate bankruptcy fraud in U.S. history, Enron.

My political party used Enron private jets and corporate attorneys to assure my success with the U.S. during my election decision.

I have protected my friends at Enron and Halliburton against investigation or prosecution. More time and money was spent investigating the Monica Lewinsky affair than has been spent investigating one of the biggest corporate rip-offs in history. I presided over the biggest energy crisis in Supreme history and refused to intervene when corruption involving the oil industry was revealed.

I presided over the highest gasoline prices in U.S. history.

I changed the U.S. policy to allow convicted criminals to be awarded government contracts..

I appointed more convicted criminals to my ad ministration than any President in U.S.   history.

I created the Ministry of Homeland Security, the largest bureaucracy in the history of the United States Government.

I've broken more international treaties than any President in U.S. history.

I am the first President in U.S. history to have the United Nations remove the U.S. from the Human Rights Commission.

I withdrew the U.S. from the World Court of Law.

I refused to allow inspector's access to U.S. 'prisoners of war' detainees and thereby have refused to abide by the Geneva Convention.

I am the first President in history to refuse United Nations election inspectors (during the 2002 US election)

I set the record for fewest numbers of press conferences of any President since the advent of television.

I set the all-time record for most days on vacation in any one-year period. After taking off the entire month of August, I presided over the worst security failure in U.S. � history

I garnered the most sympathy ever for the U.S. after the World Trade Center attacks and less than a year later made the U.S. the most hated country in the world, the largest failure of diplomacy in world history.

I have set the all-time record for most people worldwide to simultaneously protest me in public venues (15 million � people), shattering the record for protests against any person in the  history of mankind.

I am the first President in U.S. history to order an unprovoked, preemptive attack and the military occupation of a sovereign nation. I did so against the will of the United Nations, the majority of U.S. Citizens and the world community.

I have cut health care benefits for war veterans and support a cut in duty benefits for active duty tr oops and their families in wartime.

In my State of the Union Address, I lied about our reasons for attacking Iraq and then blamed the lies on our British friends.

I am the first President in history to have a majority of Europeans (71%) view my presidency as the biggest threat to world peace and security.

I am supporting development of a nuclear 'Tactical Bunker Buster,' a WMD.

I have so far failed to fulfill my pledge to bring Osama Bin Laden to justice.

RECORDS AND REFERENCES:

All records of my tenure as governor of Texas are now in my father's library, sealed and unavailable for public  view.

All records of SEC investigations into my insider trading and my bankrupt companies are sealed in secrecy and unavailable  for public view.

All records or minutes from meetings that I, or my Vice-President, attended regarding public energy policy are sealed in secrecy and unavailable for public review. I specified that my sealed documents will not be available for 50 years.
========================================

Have a happy day!!

until we meet again,

A time to regroup...

Hi Y'all,

I am back!!!  I just needed a few minutes to regroup and put my head around some things.  Of course, it was time with my family, time with my kids, time with my husband, time with me and just some reflective time.

But there is always a situation that brings on these moments in my life.  So let me just start from the beginning.

I was teaching at a CKC in Buffalo a few weekends ago.  I was confronted by an unhappy participant from one of my classes, 24 hours after the class had been taught.

She was obviously upset and started raising her voice.  I reached out to touch her on her arm and say that I would not tolerate her speaking to me that way.  She responded with some additional harsh words and told me not to touch her.  With that, I stated to her that the conversation was over and I began to walk away.

As I was walking away, she said that: "NO NIGGER IS GOING TO SPEAK TO ME LIKE THAT."

Now take a deep breath.  The details of the exchange are never relevant. There is nothing on this planet that could ever warrant one person calling another that word. 

Yes, she was white.  Yes, she was older and No, I did not go to jail.

I did not respond to her the way that Jesus would.  As a matter of fact, I actually got so full of rage that I blacked out for a good 10 seconds and then realized that I was not in my right mind and continued to walk away.

So now having explained why I have been silent for so long.

I spoke with friends from all over and the bottom line is this...  I am going to finish teaching out all of my commitments to the scrapbooking circuit.  I have committed to that and I will do it because that is just who I am.

I have not made any decisions for next year.  As a matter of fact, I my first reaction was not God-like either. 

When I stand in front of the class and I teach, whether it is biostatistics, medical ethics, how to craft with acrylic or just ripping and tearing paper, I give my all. 

I don't cut your paper, because I do not want to relegate anyone to being a monkey with a glue stick.  If you want your paper cut never take a class with me.  If you want to do the sample just like the teacher, don't take my class.  If you are not ready for a challenge, don't take my class.

They are not cutting your paper to make it easy on you.  They are cutting your paper because they can hold down the cost of the supplies.  They are cutting your paper because if you have 50 1 by 1 squares you think that you are getting more.  50 is always better than 5? NOT.

Why sit in a class and have someone tell you what to do and leave you no room to do you.  You paid for that paper.  You do you.  No one can do you better. Let me be your muse, but never walk out of a class not having learned something.

A lady in Arlington did not know that her cutter had a flipper and she has been subtracting to get the longer cuts for months.  Even after she found the flipper, she put it back underneath because she had been cutting that way for so long, she did not need it.

I have to say that I am so disappointed in where we as an industry have gone.  We speak of diversity and we never go any further to follow it up with action steps.  You must do.  You must demand that the industry does something to represent all of us. 

I am not just speaking simply about ethnicity.  That woman is a truly closed minded small, trifling and frankly ignorant ass.  If I did not have a class of 25 women waiting for me, I would have needed bail money.  Had I not taken the 2 seconds to get it together, I am not sure what I would have done. And that part scares me more than you can even imagine.

Where are the full lines of papers that represent the GLBT community.   Where are the papers representing the disabled community? And yes, I do know about the Zsaige line, but who else knows about it.  Why is there only one?

Where are the paper dolls and paper lines that have people that look like me from the new millennium and not from the 1970's.  I am not talking about coloring in the faces and changing the color of the hair to black.  My daughter and I both are sporting a head full of long luxurious locks.

Yes, I am loud, I have an opinion and I am here to stay. If you cannot deal with it then Bless your Heart and move on. I am not going away. I am always going to speak the truth to injustice.

As my Dad always says, don't ask the question if you cannot handle a truthful answer. It is my friends job to tell me when I have toilet paper on my shoe. It is their job to tell me if I have my skirt in my panties. And I promise to do the same for them.

I am no longer simply satisfied with a few layouts in this magazine or that magazine with a diverse face every now and again. I want to know who is going to stop and realize that the world blows many of us a set of hard lessons everyday.

Do you know that when I came home, my daughter looked at me and said, "Mama your heart is heavy." and she is only 5. 

How do I explain to her these horrible lessons without making her afraid of the world.  Without her having to wonder does her best friend Andi think that she is less than because she wears her hair differently.

So this is my action plan.  I am going to actively each month find a diverse paper crafter to write about.  I am going to make it my business to find the woman who was in my class in Buffalo who was an amputee from the elbow down and ask her what has it been like for you? What are the obstacles that you face as an amputee as a person of color as a woman who wants to let her family know that they have a history that is just as important and relevant today as it will be tomorrow.

I was on the phone with a good friend today and she told me that it was time to let it go.  It was time to tell you all what happened and why I had not blogged and get on with me living my life and share all the other wonderful things that have happened over the past few weeks because there are a bunch of them.

Here an excerpt from an Oprah show done back in October 2007 when Dr. Cosby, yes, and he earned those letters and don't you forget it, and Dr. Poussaint, the famous child psychologist from Harvard, when the world was upset that he was airing the "dirty laundry".

Trudy, who is white and says she lives in a predominantly white community, asks about the use of the n-word in music her children listen to. "It's not used in my home, I've never heard people in the community use it, but yet all of the kids know it," she says. "All of the white kids know it because of music and movies and they think it's like no big deal." So what can Trudy tell them about using that word?

Dr. Poussaint says Trudy needs to be forceful in telling her children what she thinks. "You tell them that it's a vicious, awful, demeaning word that has led to the killing, lynching and the demoralization and feelings of inferiority in black people—and that you can't make that word positive," he says. "It really damages our children. … It's damaging all the way through. You should never justify it."

Please don't apologize for her bad behavior. There is nothing that anyone can say to make that right.

I have not cried yet, I still think that I am angry and just refuse to vent that way but I have had others cry for me. I have reached out and I have been encouraged in ways that I did not think was possible. 

To everyone who has listened and even to those who have pushed me to get this blog entry done (OK, Jen, dynamite was more like but I won't tell anyone).

To all of you who are now crying and felling my hurt and my anger, I love you like cooked food and don't let it get you stuck. 

Don't let what she did change you either!!!

until we meet again,