Birthday Creation from my Lauren

Purple, Purple Everywhere

I turned 51 this month and Lauren made this cut-work card for me. It was way too incredible to relegate to a page of my scrapbook--so I framed it. I will put it up with the other artwork that her dad, sister and brother (and she) have already fashioned. She also wove me a basket, accented in purple, and so I'll hang the two of them together.

I have gotten a lot of my hand-work finished since I have been laying on the couch waiting for my knee to begin to heal. There aren't any spectacular cuts or gashes to show off for all of the time I am restricted from doing the things that I love. I will have to be satisfied with the needlework I've done and the creations Lauren has sent.

Lauren's Etsy Creations

I do not have the patience that Lauren does to keep doing one thing over and over, getting better and better with each repetition. I have been too carefully kept by Brent for the last 27 years to want to make myself find the self-restraint and attention to detail that is required for the kinds of creations that Lauren produces.

Sweater Monster Book--the cat was waundering by as I snapped the picture.
One kind of sweater monster is more conventionally shaped: 4 legs, face, ears, tail.
I loved this book. The black area is magnetized and there are, wrapped in red paper, more words to pick from in the half-round pocket/shelf. I picked these to be on the front when we wrapped the book.
I love the subtile embossing on this small book--a gold SOUL MATE and a green frog.
Somehow, Lauren actually sewed the wool thread onto the cover of this book.
This is my favorite sweater monster--I love the wings.
This was a complete surprise: grapes and a leaf, echoed by the cloth cover.
I think that the monster on the left is Brent Sweat.
Little Red Riding Hood in the forest. Very cool.

These are some of the creations that Lauren sent us when we asked her to make Christmas presents for the people that work with Brent. There were hand-bound books, sweater monsters and shadow boxes for us to give away. I had a hard time wrapping them up for others to have. One of the other managing attorneys was going to be on vacation this week, so Brent brought his presents on Friday. He has two children--11 and 14-ish--and the younger (son) really loved his monster. He decided to name it Brent Sweat (for Brent Sweater Monster). Brent said that he felt honoured--kind of. The Brent part was OK, but the Sweat part was kind of gross.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. A toast to hope that 2010 is as wonderful for you as 2009 was for me.