My train's inspiration stems from a family dinner conversation. We were all brainstorming together a whimsical theme for the train. I particularly wanted to use a play on words, so I threw out the words Choo Choo, and my daughter soon followed with, "yeah, like chew chew..." (we were eating). Then my husband suggested chewing gum...and bang, I was off and running. The bright colors of gum balls, and some other brands of gum, along with the wrappers, became my medium to fully adorn the train.

I would like to thank my family, who lived with a train in their house for 3 months and remained constantly cheerful and supportive throughout the entire process. I especially extend my gratitude to my son, daughter, and her friends, who gave me such wonderful bubble blowing conductor photos used inside the train. I also found great support from my sponsors, especially Kristina Pollard, who graciously purchased some of the thousands of pieces of gum.

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Photography: © 2006 Jerry LeBlond / Photiques Ltd.