You gotta have skills.....

Dad and Mom,

Art is a funny creature. I have been thankful so many times that I had the chance to go to college and study with the grownups. I have used my education in lots of different avenues over the years. BUT until this year, I didn't get the chance to be quite this diverse.....

I am now an artist of FOAM....yesssssssssss, it is a state thing here in the UTAH...a big deal for some reason.

I knew you would be SO PROUD...

I have attended "foam cutting and glueing" classes. I learned there are many different densities of foam and suited to multiple projects. AND there are magical tools that melt and seal the dimemsional creations.

I went to a "how to make flowers and glitter for high impact". I learned there are many sizes of glitter and a special way to get it on the foam. I learned that white glue would be purchased in gallons and which brand was best. (good ole ELMERS is still the king)

And GORILLA GLUE is a staple of life for us "foam artists"!

And that my time of late would be wound around cutting, glueing, painting, shopping for fabric coverings, hauling and delivering and even performing surgery, albeit "foam" surgery.

I would get the befores and and work them into the afters....

The "engineer" guy did the initial carving on these rabbits and I did the finish work....

(Don't these two look they sniffed a bit too much glue in the workroom....)

The guy behind the initial design was the one with the fancy heat carving tool and I was left to "sculpt" with my trusty

kitchen electric knife. And then I used good ole sandpaper to even it all up.


I was a little worried at this lamb stage...must get the spots on....

And let us have a moment of silence for my ever reliable glue gun....

But then I spotted a real problem......poor FLO had a major defect...too many handles in the "UDDER" area. This farm girl could not let THAT go.....no sir. Out came the knife and off came the two extras...WE BOTH FELT BETTER.

There is this code on the side...think "oh, when the Saints came marching in"....

Once she was done, Emma donned her pioneer garb and posed for a shot...

Then they came and strapped her on the wagon and off she went. And I looked around and there was MORE FOAM. And more instructions. AHHHH. And still supper to make...

These were to become two heads "oversized and cartoonish". A woman in the garden who is surprised when "FLO" comes through the roof of her dug out. And her spouse farmer in the garden. Back to the foam mess.

We had a deadline....our Stake Float needed to be done for the South Jordan Days parade on June 19th. Our maiden voyage to see what it looked like and if anything fell off.

It was a little unnerving to see it bounce around on the rutted road headed to the parade staging.

But kinda cool to see the two steeples in my lense.

I made my family get a good spot for viewing and it was tough being patient through all the other entries....those Shriners really know how to entertain. And Emma has her years supply of Sweets taffy. BUT FINALLY....we could hear the cow bell and see ole FLO shaking her head....

Everything worked...the rabbits pulled the carrots out. Flo fell on one knee into the dugout and shook her head and Polly Pioneer swung around and stared at her with her hand swinging up to her mouth! Nothing fell off...but Pioneer man didn't get finished yet so he is sulking somewhere in the dark garage...and we could see we need more sparkly flowers...Ah, man. MORE FOAM....