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

I'm teaching ICE Resin @ Inspired!

 ****Register for Class Here****

Thursday, May 13 at 4:00pm to 5:00pm

Friday, May 14 at 9:30pm to 10:30pm

****Register for Class Here***

I was suppose to teach this class for ObjectsandElements.com in South Africa. But life has changed and given me a chance to teach it here first. Gotta love how life throws you a curve and it turns into a home run!!

Do you want to play with the ICE Resin? Do you want to see how it feels on various papers? Do you want to learn how to make these simply elegant flowers? How do you want to use it in your next project? What are your possibilities?

Well come on and hang out with me. 

In this hour long class, you will resin up a sample size piece of text paper. The rest of the time we will be handling pre-resined paper. We will construct these beautiful paper flowers. Your kits are complete with all that you will need to make these stunning art cards. Keep them for home decor or give them as special gift.

I am teaching the class twice. Once on Thursday and once on Friday. 

ObjectsandElements.com has graciously provided discount code for anyone who takes the class and orders online directly. 

At this point I feel the need to digress... 

This class is using ICE Resin paper. IT IS NOT MAKING ICE RESIN PAPER. We will cover a 4 by 4 square. You will understand how to apply and how to customize the application to fit your individual need.

We will be working with various PRE-resined papers. You will be constructing the featured flowers. Papers may vary and are subject to change based upon availability. 

And can I brag just a bit for one hot minute.

I am one of an exclusive handful

fully endorsed by ObjectsandElements to teach 

ICE Resin techniques with Paper!

You know you want to come!

until we meet again,

Special Needs require Special People

Can I tell you that it has been such a long road to get to this place.

A few weeks ago, I had the boys evaluated. They have been home with me for the past year and we have been muddling through the homeschool process. 

I have a great network of wonderful people in my life. My parents, as crazy as they are, love my kids and step to the plate to help me whenever they can. I have my good friend Debbie who has been an invaluable source of inspiration. She has really helped me to navigate through this maze of Speciality Needs.

This may sound crazy, but when the boys were home with me and I knew that something was just not right, I was OK with it just not being right and working through the transitions. Once you have it written down in black and white by a professional it takes on a whole new meaning.

You have your few minutes on the ride home from the office to sit with the fact that there is a problem that needs to be fixed. It is not as bad or as hopeless as you had though. There is a name for the elephant in the room -- ADHD, and that is not bad. 

After my first set of tears, I realize that all hope is not lost. I just have my work cut out for me as a mother. I must advocate to make sure that they get all that need and all that is available. 

I wipe my tears with my Super Mom cape and reach down to tie my boot straps. I am one of the lucky people who has boot straps.

I have a few numbers to start the dialing journey looking for help, asking for help, finding out what I need to do next. And in this process, I found an agency called Parent to Parent of Georgia.

I spoke to a woman named Laurie. She let me tell her my fears, my hopes and my BIG plans for the boys. She let me embrace all of my apprehensions and she took me by the hand and said all is good you are in the right place.

Y'all, I have been to the mountain top and it is just beautiful. 

Parent to Parent USA (P2PUSA) is a national non-profit organization committed to promoting access, quality and leadership in parent to parent support across the country. This site highlights alliance member statewide organizations that have parent to parent support as a core program and a commitment to implementing parent to parent evidence-based practices. Parent to Parent programs provide emotional and informational support to families of children who have special needs most notably by matching parents seeking support with an experienced, trained 'Support Parent'. 

The website has a database online for services if you want to search on your own or you can call and they will search the database for you. 

I cannot tell you how refreshing it was to have someone say to me you will need this and this and this and this and oh, we have this that may be helpful. She left no stone unturned. When I hung up the phone, I had everything I needed and more sent to my email. 

And they even told me that I could call back. Oh I did this morning, I called back and within minutes, I had another print out sent to my email of all the summer camps that are available in my area.

I know that my cup runneth over. 

I know that I am blessed. 

I know that this new road we are on is going to have its challenges. 

I am going to keep my eyes open.

I am meeting some of the most extraordinarily special people along the way.

until we meet again,

Birthday Crafting with the Chi-Chi

I know I say this all the time but I love crafting with my kids. I love finding the teachable moment with the kids around crafting.

We have safety rules and clean up rules. If you don't follow them you do not get to craft. Ziggy has made it clear that he "cannot handle scissors" because he does not like to clean up.

Well Chi-Chi decided that she wanted to have a crafting party for her birthday and she wanted "to use the Yudu and the Cricut" at her party. I leave the party planning stuff to my Mom and I go off and do the crafty stuff.

We rented the classroom at Archivers and invited every kid in her classroom as well as girl scouts and family.

Early that morning Chi-Chi decides that she wants to have a skull and crossbones on the t-shirts rather than my nice happy go lucky politically correct flower for the girls and robot for the boys.

I finally found an image from Heidi Swapp and burned two screens.

I grabbed all of my stuff for the crowns that we were going to cut on the Cricut and let them decorate. I grabbed all of my paint and two Yudu machines and off we go with time to spare.

We had 17 kids using the Yudu and the Cricut! It was a blast! They made some of the most amazing stuff. All the kids were wearing their t-shirts before they sat down to eat birthday cake.

Every child walked out of the party with a creation all their own. I have to admit that for just one moment, my heart just smiled.

One little boy looked at me and said, "I've never made anything like this before. Thanks I will never forget this party ever!"

My favorite picture is Chi-Chi explaining to another Mom how to use the Cricut. 

I got a phone call from Debbie the next day, she and her grand-daughter, who was wearing her t-shirt, went to McDonald's while there another friend of Chi-Chi's was there too, wearing her t-shirt.

Kids always rise to the occasion. They never want to do just one they want to add more do more and see what happens if.

I realized that it is not just my kids that love it, your kids do too. 

until we meet again,

Acrylic and your Cricut

Over the weekend, I got a bunch of emails asking questions about the mini Sharpie and the Cricut. I hope these answers help.

Question: Did you know that Amy Chomas is selling holders for the gel pens and the Sharpies?

Answer: Yes. But if you are like me and you want immediate gratification and have 2.00 you can do it this way.

Question: Which pen holders did you purchase?

Answer: I purchased the staples brand. They were under 3.00 and they were the only ones that I could find.

Question: How far down did you put the pen holder?

Answer: They are not as easy as you think to get on so where ever it landed is where it landed and I tried to make it work.

Question: How far down do you put the pen so that it does not write all over the acrylic when it is moving around?

Answer: I did not measure. I just shoved an envelope from some junk mail under the pen so it did not write all over my brand new Cricut.

Question: You used large type how does it look when you use smaller images and fonts?

Answer: I have no idea. But on first response, I would say that it is the tip of the pen that will give you some indication.There are other brands of mini ultra fine pens if you think that may work better. Give it a try and let me know what happens.

Question: Do you have any other samples of what you have done on acrylic with the Cricut?

Answer: As a matter of fact, I do. I just did not like the design for the my Dad, so I changed it. Plus the wheels smeared some of the ink. Note, I just inked the edges of the acrylic so that you can see them.

HTH

until we meet again,

To Resin or Not to Resin, that is the question.

I have been working with Ice Resin from Objects and Elements for the past few weeks.

When I first got this stuff and surfed the web to see what others had done with it, all I saw was jewelry applications.

So let me be honest and say that there is a learning curve. I had to figure out what I was looking for and then try to work backwards. If you can figure out what that means then you are ahead of me. LOL!

Jump in head first and trust me you will swim. Lay down some plastic bags, grab some of your favorite papers and get started.

You can punch, cut, stamp on and tear paper that was difficult or nearly impossible before applying.

The top flowers are made from mulberry paper and then cut on the Cricut. The circles were punched with a circle punch.

Let me digress just for a second. Did y'all know that 3L Scrapbook Adhesives has black square foam squares? I love these things. There is a perfection in the foam square and to have it in black is more than right it is the bomb diggity.

I love the results of using text weight paper. The paper becomes transparent with a great glossy finish.

It has a memory and it will keep its shape.

The bottom flower is also cut on the Cricut. I could never cut mulberry paper before. It does not rip or tear when taking it off of the cutting mat. LOVE IT.

My next step is to conquering coloring ICE Resin using dry or oil-based products. All of the flowers here I colored the paper first and then applied the ICE Resin.

I have a few suggestions for working with the ice resin:

First, make sure that you follow the instructions and and mix the ice resin thoroughly.

Second, let the paper dry completely. You will be much happier with the final results.

Lastly, be patient. You do not want to rush through an application and find that your results are not what you expected.

So in the end here are the reasons why I would use the ICE Resin on paper:

1) ICE Resin makes cutting once impossible paper possible in the Cricut. I have not tried other electronic cutter because I don't own them.

2) ICE Resin makes the paper translucent. Need I say more.

3) ICE Resin is versatile. You can customize your look based on its application.

4) ICE Resin goes a long way, so you get a good bang for your buck. And you know that I am all about the bang.

until we meet again,

Creativity stirs in the midst of Chaos

It has been a really busy past two months. It is official, I have now moved to that new place in my parenting spectrum.

I am now a personal chauffeur.

I know bigger kids bigger problems, but time is passing by so quickly and I don't want to miss any of it.

I did not realize that between this activity and that activity, this doctor visit, and that run through the park throw in a birthday party and mandatory family bonding... I could have such a fabulous time.

In the middle of all of it, I have found a few minutes to work on some stuff.

I came home from Florida with the need to preserve a memory. I just loved this photo of my Dad with the kids on the beach.

I wanted to make something that my Dad could put on his desk. 

I went out and purchased a mini black sharpie and a box of pencil holders from Staples.

After a bit of fumbling I was able to get the marker in the pencil holder in the blade holder.

I used Graphically Speaking, Gypsy Wanderings and Gypsy Font for a simple title.

I finished it off with the shells that the kids picked up off the beach and a few starfish from my own stash.

I had a left over piece of a canvas book from C&T Publishing sitting on the table from another project.

My Dad likes to have stuff on his desk about or from the kids.

I took a 4 by 6 photo easel and tacky taped it to the back of the canvas so that it will stand up on his desk.

The kids are going to give it as an Easter gift to him. I am really please with how it turned out.

until we meet again,

Parenting takes up a lot of time!!

I have been so neglectful of my blog. Please forgive me.

But did you know that parenting takes up so much time. I mean between the Wacky Wednesdays and the Freaky Fridays and this activity and that activity and this doctor and that special thing, I am just beat.

Needless to say, I have been neglectful and I am now going to keep up.

I have the best story to tell about my most recent visit to the Dentist with Ziggy.

Oh please indulge me for just one minute... this is a story that will go down in history.

Ziggy has never had any positive experiences at the Dentist. His first two times he had to have teeth extracted because he has a junk mouth.

Apparently he had been sitting in front of the refrigerator drinking syrup. You ask how long? Until his teeth needed to be pulled. Mind you I have created a food restricted home on too many levels to list here.

I like syrup with my waffles. I make them fresh every morning. I have a waffle iron that I leave out on my counter just like my George Foreman grilling machine.

Oh but I digress. So we go to the Dentist this past Wednesday. We have been speaking to him about it. He has made it clear that he does not like the people, the place and all he wants are the gooddies you get after. We have played all kinds of games and even practiced in the chair at home so he knows what he is getting into. I asked as many questions and got what worked from all sources.

Well we get there and he won't open his mouth for x-rays. Nope not doing it.  He had a fit! And it just kept escalating.

At one point with three assistants, the Dentist and myself trying to hold him down -- he screams "this is the worst nightmare of my life". He then tells me "You cannot hold me down against my will! I am terrified and I am going to faint".

I did not know whether to laugh or cry.

After it was all said and done the Dentist asked how does he do under sedation. I could not have been happier. So we scheduled him to go to Scottish Rite to have all the work done. The last time he had his tonsils out we were out of there in just under an hour because he was hungry and ready to go.

Even though parenting takes up a lot of time, it also pulls on my heart strings.

until we meet again,

She's How OLD??

I cannot believe that 7 years ago, I was giving birth to my daughter. Right now at this time, she was only 1.5 hours old and had been whisked off to the NICU because she was only 4 pounds and 32 weeks old.

I can remember my dad being there with the video camera and all he kept saying was "OMG what is that? Is she suppose to look like that? Why is she so pink? She's so little."

And she was. You could fit her in the palm of your hand. My dad still taunts my mother by tell her that he saw "his granddaughter" being born.

I cannot believe that my life has changed so much in these few years.

Time has taken long to go by so quickly.

Is it that they just keep having birthdays and it is not until that day when you stop and look back on the whole year.

Or is there something that happens on birthdays that makes you wonder "How the hell did I make it through another year and they have all their limbs attached?"

Every year, I try to do something fun and crafty special for the kids birthdays. This year, I came home from my normal Wednesday Mama Run-A-Round, I made Chi-Chi a Happy Birthday Pin.

She loves it! She is so funny. She saw a ribbon in the store that said Happy Birthday. She wanted to buy it. I told her "Put that back, Mama can make one."

And then she proceeded to give me all the details of how I needed to make this the best Birthday pin ever with flowers, glitter, curly ribbon, and a BIG Happy Birthday in the center?" Without hesitation, I said "Of Course I can".

This morning she told me that I was the best Mom ever and off she went to school, on the bus, my big girl.

until we meet again,

Mascara, Lip Gloss and Nail Polish, Oh My!!

I had the best time on "Creative Living with Sheryl Borden".

I never realized just how quickly the time passes when you have only 7 to 9 minutes to say and do it all. 

This a half-hour television show designed for the active lifestyles of the new millennium.

It is currently carried on more than 118 PBS stations in over 40 states, as well as in Canada, Guam and Puerto Rico.

I did not know how much prep time it takes to get ready for TV. And I do not mean the getting the projects and step outs ready either.

Of course, I was given a list from my friends and my mother broken into two parts those things that I had to do and the things that I should do. By the time it was all said and done, one list ran into the other.

I had to get my locks tightened, wax my eyebrows, put on mascara, wear eyeshadow and lip gloss. Once I had all that done, I figured I should clean all the crud out from my fingers and put on some clear nail polish, buy new personals!

I promise next time I will do ear rings and a necklace. I just could not handle all of it on the first go around!

I normally only take 7 minutes after my shower to get dressed and out the door.

It took me over 45 minutes to put it all together and get ready to face the harsh reality of the snow storm in Portales, NM.

Everyone was wonderful! The time that I spent on the set was fabulous. I really can't wait to do it again.

The first segment that I did was called On the Rebound: Old Book Covers get a Second Chance.

Here is an easy way to re-purpose vintage book covers for pennies on the dollar. It makes a perfect keepsake for your travels! These journals are great when space is at a minimum but you still need a journal that can handle more than just short notes. This blank book is designed to be easy to carry yet still have plenty of room for your thoughts! Making a text block can be time consuming and take hours of hand stitching. Not any more, with the Your Story™ from Provo Craft you can create in just minutes. Advanced Book Artists and Novices alike will enjoy!

The second segment that I taped was called Live Out Loud: Canvas Covered Journal.

Keep in your purse or pocket for handy access to jot down phone numbers, names and other information. Handy when you want to write down ideas and random thoughts while on the run. Stylish and unique, a great replacement for the shards of paper that get lost all too often. What better way to keep track of all of your adventures and discoveries? Advanced Book Artists and Novices alike will enjoy! The covers are made using the Yudu™, Ready-to-Go!® Blank Canvas Book and EarthSafe Finishes Shimmer Gel Medium.

I have to admit that this was one of the best experiences that I've had since I started on my road as a professional Mixed Media Artist.

I can't wait to do it again! I'm off to take pictures so that you can see projects up close it finally stopped raining here.

until we meet again,

I'm ready for my close up!!

I'm going to be on television!! 

You heard me. I am going to be on the little screen!!!

Back in September, I received an email from Sheryl Borden, the Producer and Host of "Creative Living with Sheryl Borden". 

It's a half-hour television show designed for the active lifestyles of the new millennium.  They are celebrating their 33rd season on PBS.

Well, of course I decided to do it why not. It is going to be a blast!

So in between watching Hoarders and keeping up with homeschooling for the boys, I have been making projects for the show. I decided to commit two segments. Each segment is 5 to 7 minutes.

The first is called "On the Re-Bound: Old Book Covers Get A Second Chance". I using the Your Story from Provo Craft with a vintage book cover and new signatures. I no longer have to rig up the hot plate and the clamps to get a nice seal. It is clean and safe.

There is a joy that I get when I stitch a book by hand, but it can take hours to complete and you must do it in one sitting. Maybe that is the Librarian in me.

The second is called "Live Out Loud: Canvas Covered Journal".  I am using the Yudu and the

Ready-to-Go!® Blank Canvas Book from C&T Publishing.

But can I tell you the most exciting of all, I am going to be flying from Atlanta to Roswell, NM. That's right you read it right, I'm going to the land of aliens and UFO's.

Now what more could I possibly get.

So I am off to shave my legs, brush my newly waxed eyebrows and put on some mascara for my close up.

until we meet again,