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Send an eamil to christel@christelferguson.com.

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A Book is Born

I really hate Christmas. Not really, I just didn’t want to buy gifts for anybody. It’s all about money. So I was thinking about what I could do instead, and I thought about making gifts out of wine corks (and everyone knows how much I enjoy wine.) They’d have to accept them because they were hand made. So it really didn’t matter how much (or how little) I spent on it.

So I started saving corks. As a bartender/actress in New York City they weren’t that hard to come by.

I went to Michael’s (the craft store) to find a book that told me what to make out of them. I was really surprised when the salesperson said there was no such book on cork crafts.

I started to panic a little – I now had almost 500 corks! I looked online and found random sites that showed how to make a horse and a wreath –but no more. It was Christmastime, so I followed the horse directions, but changed it into a reindeer.

And people were literally buying them from me from behind the bar! I emailed my sister some pictures and I got a few orders.

Then my sister’s friend decided she wanted to learn how to make them herself, so my sister said I should write a how-to book.

So I sat down with my corks and thought, “What could this be?” I could paint them, I visualized a log cabin, I saw mushrooms, angels, flowers, and I could slice them! I made a lighthouse, I saw mosaics, trivets, smiley faces, snowmen – the possibilities were endless.

I discovered I either had a talent or I was a little crazy – no one should like corks this much. And it’s not like I’m bored and I don’t have things to do with my life – like drink wine!

So, I wrote the book. Monroe Mann, my career planner at the time helped me get started. I hired a photographer, Amanda Rose and an editor, Bess McCrary, and these guys did a fantastic job!! It was great working with them - check out what else they do.

A Mosaic in Cork

Alright, I was at the Bowery Wine Company (on 1st St.) – they have huge ceilings and a sectioned-off part of the wall. I thought, “I’m going to make a piece that fits right there.” I took measurements and found a 4’X5’ board that would fit.

As I looked at the different sizes and shapes of my corks, I realized I could use them to make a picture – a mosaic – out of the corks!

After a week I had A Lazy Afternoon. It was a lot of work. I designed it, but a lot of friends helped me construct it.

Although originally constructed for the Bowery Wine Company, A Lazy Afternoon made it instead to the office of the Co-Artistic Director of the Barrow Group Theatre Company, the prestigious Off-Broadway theatre company.

I took a few photos (with my iPhone, no less) and started showing people the images. It was so big there was no other way to see it! I was out one night with a friend who works at 100 Acres, thinking I would have a quick glass of prosecco and be on my way. His friend arrived and we started talking. I showed him pictures of what I was doing. As soon as he heard the size of the piece he bought it on the spot.

He liked the fact he got to know the artist, as well. A Lazy Afternoon was on display for Transitions” and then was shipped to its new home in Maryland.

Now I'’m getting Long Island wineries to sponsor my endeavors. There is a shortage of cork in the world, and now I’m having a cork shortage as well, my pieces are so big. A Lazy Afternoon has more than 1000!

And now I love to do the bigger projects. –It'’s more work, and requires a lot more time and effort to farm it out, and it’s very therapeutic.