Artist Trading Cards

(click image to enlarge) - SOLD OUT!

I just finished this series of Artist Trading Cards (3.5"x2.5"), and they are available for sale for $20 each, includes US postage. All proceeds will go to Hands, Hearts & Paws --- an all breed dog rescue where I volunteer. Recently they have had several owner surrenders that have needed extensive medical care, and their bank account is depleted. Email me or leave me a comment if you would like to purchase one (or more). Thanks!

This is one dog's story...

This dog was left tied up at a local shelter with a note that said he had been "injured for 3 months". He had a prong collar embedded in his neck that left several puncture wounds all the way around his neck when it was surgically removed. He also had a huge drain hole in the underside of his neck, that thankfully was allowing the infection from his wounds to drain. He later had a second surgery to remove a huge piece of wood that was puncturing his trachea. After all the x-rays, tests and surgeries, he is finally pain-free and healing, but his vet bills total $1000.

This is why I am fundraising for this rescue. Instead of euthanizing him as a hopeless situation, this rescue fought to find a surgeon that would try to save this dog. And now they need help paying his bills.

Another Dog Day

(Seems like every day is a dog day around here......LOL)

The newest photo of Mya and Zeke in the yard with their favorite ball. They were tuckered out, and both of them actually looked at me when I called their names for the photo!

This is one of the new guys in Hands, Hearts & Paws rescue. He is a little 12 pound terrier mix, and totally sweet and friendly.

I loved photographing Gilligan! He is so photogenic and fun-loving!

And one last photo, just to convince you of his cuteness!

Wordless Wednesday

One of Those Things...

I am not a big fan of making or wearing nametags. Unfortunately, one of my art groups has added several new members recently, and as a result, it was decided that everyone should wear nametags for a while. So, last night I got busy and made a unique one for myself. And ... it is designed so that I can remove my name when I am done using it as a nametag, and I will have a small frame-able piece of collage art. Now that I can live with!

P.S. On another note, I sold two pieces of art to a new collector in the Netherlands this morning, and I am thrilled about that!

Another Adoption

Little Ms. Felicia was adopted on Friday morning, just one week after arriving in rescue. She was picked up as a stray and taken by animal control to a high kill shelter. We rescued her from there and transported her to Omaha. She loves playing in her new backyard with her cairn terrier sister, Gracie (on the right).

Here's the newest photo of Mya and our current foster yorkie, Evan. They are quite the pair --- similar in looks, but very different personalities. Mya is a little spitfire, always ready to play or chase something. Evan is a cuddlebug, always wanting to be held and loved.

Wordless Wednesday

A Learning Experiment

I have been playing with spray paint and stencils, in an attempt to accentuate certain areas of a collage. In this collage, I wanted to bring the emphasis to her facial features. I used a piece of plastic needlepoint canvas as my stencil and spray painted around her face. I like the look, but next time I need to be a bit more precise. Black paint on her teeth is not very becoming! LOL

Play Time for the Pups

Our current foster dog, Evan, really needs some socializing around other dogs. So I took him over to a friend's house to play for the afternoon...

JB in his basketball jersey, with his favorite ball

Annabelle in her new hoodie

Bella in her rhinestone-studded muscle T

Ribbons, one of her foster yorkies, about the same size as Evan

Mya with a toy that she discovered in the backyard

And Evan, just looking cute!

Wordless Wednesday

Autumn in the Yard

We love the large ash trees that shade our backyard in the summer and provide privacy from spring through summer, but now is the time that we realize how many leaves it takes to provide that shade and privacy. So far we have bagged 10 HUGE bags of leaves, and that is after the leaves have been mulched into tiny pieces!

After all that leaf raking and mulching, it was time for a little fun! I made 3 new chickadee feeders --- one for Mom and two for us. The little chickadees love the peanut butter or suet in these feeders. Once in a while I see a downy woodpecker on them, but usually it is the chickadees enjoying the feast.

And lastly, a couple more blushing peppers from the garden. Our tomatoes are done, but the peppers are still growing and producing. These two will be part of our supper tonight.

Wordless Wednesday

A Great Day!

Today started with a papa cardinal at the feeder with his two fledglings. He was trying to keep them both fed and teach them how to eat on their own. Throughout the day, they made many trips to the feeder, and I had such fun watching them!

(Sorry for the photo quality --- it was taken through the window screen, as I didn't want to disturb them.)

And my day ended with a great adoption! This is little Hope (now Roxi), who is a maltese/yorkie mix that was rescued from a horrible breeder situation. She flourished in her foster home, and now she has a wonderful forever family with 3 little girls that are already spoiling her! These are the moments that make all the hard work and heartbreak of rescue work worthwhile.

Whirlwind Week

I don't know where the week went, but it flew by. On Thursday I traveled to Lawrence, KS to spend time with friends and attend a workshop on Saturday. On Friday we spent some time with our cameras at Clinton Lake and in downtown Lawrence.

Here are two of the many deer that we saw grazing and playing around the lake. They weren't easily spooked, so we got to enjoy them for quite a while before they ran off.

There were spider webs everywhere in the morning light! Almost every patch of grasses had a zillion webs to photograph, and the sunrise cast the perfect lighting.

This was one of my favorite photos from downtown Lawrence. I guess every town has its share of street artists!

Wordless Wednesday

New Man in My Life

This is Evan, our newest foster pup --- you knew I would get another one, didn't you? He is 3 years old and a little over 7 pounds. He's from a puppy mill, so he is shy and scared right now. So far, he is just about perfect though --- slept through his first night here, minimal accidents in the house, no barking or whining, and he is learning to trust us and come to us for petting. It would be very easy to hold and love on this one all day, but I am letting him learn to be a dog first. He loves the outdoors --- grass under his feet, sunshine on his back, gentle breeze through his fur. It's all good in his world now!

Logan Has A Forever Home!

Logan with his forever mom, Millie. She's in love with him, and I know he will have fun traveling the US with her!

Busy, Busy, Busy

This morning I had an appointment at Sunderland Gallery to drop off all the artwork for the Considering Red exhibition, which opens on Sunday. It should be a great show, featuring fiber art from artists all over the country.

After that appointment, I headed out to photograph 4 rescue dogs. The photos above are Simon, one of two pomeranian brothers available for adoption. They were breeder releases from a puppy mill, and they're a little shy right now.

My Life

My life has gone to the dogs. Studio time is stolen in between walking and playing with the dogs. I don't know how this has happened, but I see the effects every time I walk into the studio and see the half-finished pieces of art. I'm not complaining. It's a cycle, and I know that this winter, I will return to the studio and fostering dogs will move to the back burner.

This is Logan's favorite position when he is sprawled on the floor. I have always called it his "frog legs" pose, but another reader told me that when her dog does it, she calls it his "polar bear rug imitation". Either way, it is a cute pose!

This is little Hope, a maltese/yorkie mix. She is just under a year old and just under 5 pounds. A breeder released her to rescue, and she is in a foster home while she waits for her forever home. I am amazed at the change in her personality. When I first picked her up, she didn't want to be touched at all. Now she is the first one to greet everyone! Watching mill dogs emerge from scared animals into loved pets is probably the most rewarding aspect of rescue work. And even though I am not the one fostering this sweetheart, she will always have a special place in my heart!

Happy Labor Day!

Mya has more clothes already than she will ever have time to wear, but when I saw this cute little dress on clearance for $3, I couldn't resist it. She was the hit of the BBQ!

Bentley's Forever Family

Remember little Bentley, the silky terrier male puppy that I rescued with Mercedes? Well, Bentley finally found his forever home on Friday, and it is a great home for him. He has a little maltese/papillon puppy sister and two kids to play with him. I'm so happy for him!