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Confessions of an imperfect dog mom: Preparing to Nest

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My spirit animal!

There is something about this time of year that fosters an organic ability for me to relax.  Relaxing does not typically come naturally for me.  But the air is cooler in the morning, the spiders are huge, my spice garden is ready to harvest, and the days are getting noticeably shorter…change is in the air.

spider web
This amazing piece of arachnidart hangs above my main gate and below my Hemlock tree…its absolutely stunning.

This year there seems to be an urgency about getting ready for fall and winter.  The squirrels on my property are working at a dervish pace, there are wooly worms everywhere and trees seem to be turning pre-maturely.  There was a time when I dreaded fall for what comes after it.  I hated the shorter days and without a daily energy boost from the sun all winter I would slip in to some pretty deep winter blues. download But I’m in a different season of life and now I look forward to burrowing in for the winter.  My work load on the property slows down considerably and I can allow myself more time for art, play, cooking and spiritual pursuits…perhaps even a vacation this year.  I can’t wait to have this time to slow down and re-charge.  The older I get the more clarity I have into the relevance of the cycles and spirals of all life; the agricultural seasons, the cycle of birth and death and the constant sprials of evolving as an older woman.  I find the this latest cycle to be one of the most empowering times in my life.

Each season inspires a specific basket of dominant feelings/emotions in me…in spring its hope…but in fall its gratitude.  I love the colors, smells, sounds of fall..they make me feel grounded and quiet.  I feel grateful for the income that my businesses have provided all summer.  And I feel grateful knowing that an extended period of rest is near on the horizon.

I had not realized how much I resemble a squirrel until I started writing this post…perhaps they are my spirit animals.  All summer I feel like a squirrel while I’m hard (but joyfully) at work squirreling away my nuts for the winter.  And with the addition of Heloise to my family it seems like I sleep in a literal “nest” every night.  She is terribly shy and still won’t stand for being picked up or carried around.  Since I can’t convince her to go up to my bedroom at night I’ve been sleeping on an air bed in my den for over two months so she can be with the whole family at night.  She, and the other 8 dogs, pile on the airbed with me.

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My babies piled on the air bed with me….love.

Heloise loves being in the mix; some nights she sleeps right on my belly.

I know she appreciates that we all stay close to her.  She tells me often that she “belongs”…that seems to be her word.  She is a very happy and playful girl despite her strong boundaries with touching…I am patient and I feel incredibly grateful for the trust she has already shown in me.  I posted a video of her playing with Snoopy at the bottom of this post.  She is joy.

Me and my fur family live a life where we try for the most part to keep to

Banishing Spray

ourselves…that is not always possible and there have been some uncomfortable incidents and lingering negative energy on one side of my property at Misfit Manor. I’ve been pulling out my full arsenal of prayers, blessings and tricks to put a stop to it.  Today I harvested a variety of sage, rosemary and lavender from my herb garden.

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Making a banishing spray from herbs from my garden.

I am steeping them in charged rain water to make a protection spray to keep clear that corner of the property of any lingering nefarious energy and also work with in the house when I don’t want to burn my herbs.  The smell of steeping fresh herbs is so earthy and comforting.  I posted a cheat sheet on my banishing spray (though if you are interested I would encourage you to really craft your own with ingredients and intention that flows from your heart and intuition).

 

 

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Snoopy’s 2nd Birthday Pawty!

The Pawty business continues to grow for me.  I appreciate everyone who supports my shop.  Vet bills on 9 dogs and 2 cats are no joke and my shop is a big source of how I fund it.  Petunia continues to get laser therapy several times a week for her back; as well as acupuncture treatments.   Millie and Petunia just had dentals…it adds up fast.

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Millie & Petunia resting after their dentals.

Every time I realize that the “pet account” is running low I take a deep breath and trust that what I need will come….and it always does.  Every time I hear the Etsy “register ring” sound on my phone I feel a profound sense of gratitude.

Blessings to you and yours as we enter the fall season… may you find gratitude, renewal and peace in this beautiful season.

Rescue On!

Nancy

 

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Pet Rescue Art…we all leave a trace in this world…

Pet Rescue Art…a trace left behind

use this oneI firmly believe that what we do in this life will follow us in to the next life.  We all leave a trace while we are here…some call it a legacy…be it small or grand though it will follow us.  My trace, like most people’s I suppose, is a mix of good and bad.  I had my wild years…the years where what I left behind was more like a stain than a trace.  But my animals continue to rub my rough edges off.   I will leave no grand legacy…just a trace of life with animals.  I hope that trace is learning to work with difficult dogs (who for some reason are the one’s that steal my heart) and sharing the realities of how poorly animals still fare in our increasingly complex and unfeeling world through my art.

Pet Rescue Art, Graffiti Art, Dog Painting, Dog Mom Gift
Pawffiti…a reflection of our lifestyle.
Likeness of Hercules
Likeness of Hercules

I started painting just a few years ago.   My muse was my Rottie Hercules.  He was also the reason I had to learn to train dogs.  Like his human mama…he was head strong, difficult, didn’t always play well with others and enthusiastic about everything he did (good and bad).   After he died I had a broken heart for a long time.  It seemed like no time had passed at all before I was losing my clear mental picture of him…I felt like I was losing his face.  So I started doodling/drawing him and then one day picked up some cheap pastel paints and painted him.  On the left really big frontis this very first painting.

I was hooked after this..painting became my outlet.  Every time I felt moved in regards to my own animals or the fate of other animals…I turned to painting to work it out.  I am what they call in the art world an “outsider”.  I have no formal training…actually I do not even have any informal training.  All I have is a desire and passion to speak for animals through art.  It was therapeutic for me…I never thought that what I was doing would resonate with others.

Pet Rescue Art, Cat Rescue Art, Cat painting, Cat art, cat mom gift.
Choose Life…This painting is sold.
Rescue mom's should
Rescue mom’s should

Two year ago I finally had enough paintings finished to open an ETSY shop.  I started my little art shop with the hope that it would be a way for me to give voice to homeless animals and raise money for homeless animals while still being able to be present at home for my own house full of rescued pets (I have eight of them).

In the last two years I have shipped art to 29 states (CRAZY) and the momentum continues to build. The first three months of this year allowed us to raise our largest amount of funds so far …just over $1,200.00…I hope this momentum continues and I can’t say enough how much I appreciate everyone who frequents my shop, sends me referrals and connects me with rescue groups running large auctions.

Pet Rescue Art, Dog Fighting Sucks Art, Graffiti Art, Dog Painting, Dog Mom Gift
Pawffiti: Dog Fighting Sucks
Cat rescue art, Pawffiti, cat painting, cat art, cat mom gift
This painting is sold.

I raise money in two ways…the largest portion is from my original paintings that go straight to charity auctions to raise money.  My highest single auction sale to date has been $700.00 for one painting.  If anyone had told me that I would make a painting that fetched that kind of money I would have laughed at them.   I also donate a percentage of any sales of my art and handmade leashes from my ETSY shop to rescue charities.

Pet Rescue Art, Graffiti Art, Dog Painting, Dog Mom Gift
Pawffiti…Real Men Don’t Chain Dogs

Parting with my art is an odd thing.  I am of course happy when I sell a piece or ship one off to auction.  But there is also a strange remorse.  I am parting with a piece of myself that I will never see again.  It really is quite strange.

Fortunately, I am blessed with a house full of rescued cats and dogs that are my constant muse for my art.   They give me so many ideas for more paintings that it feels like I have ping pong balls bouncing around in my head…I have to write them down or I will clutter them out.   My website has been a great place to share my ideas and I appreciate everyone who reads and comments here.

Every life is precious…and that means the sweet animals too! God Bless and thanks for your support over the last two years!

Rescue On!
Nancy

 

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Pet Rescue Art: Beware of the Dog’s Mama

Pet Rescue Art:  Beware of Mama

I live in a state where the news flow is littered with stories of animal neglect and abuse…you really can’t avoid seeing it unless you choose to shut the world out completely.  Every time I see a new story I look at my own dogs and wonder how could it happen so often.  The reality is that I know how it happens…people who abuse the innocent…whether its a child, an elderly person, a

pet rescue art, dog art, the rescue mama, pet rescue, dog rescue
The Rescue Mama

handicapped person or an animal are spiritually sick.   The rest of society has to take the responsibility to do their best to protect the innocent and vulnerable from the spiritually sick.  I painted this little diddy after I read about a particularly disturbing animal abuse case right here in Scott County…I won’t retell it…but it was horrible.  This painting went viral pretty quick on Pinterest….guess I am not the only one who feels protective of my dogs!

My dog’s are all sweeties…but all shall pity the fool who messes with mama’s dogs!

Rescue On!

Nancy

Do you love all things pet and pet rescue?  Follow me on Facebook or Pinterest…check out my ETSY shop for this other and other paintings!

 

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Pet Craft: Holiday Dog Candles

Free Craft Tutorial: Vintage Holiday Dog Candles

20141202_064731I don’t know about you but by the time we get this close to the holiday season I am all done with the shopping and craziness …its time to nest and craft!  Christmas crafts are my very favorite to make!

If you are looking for a quick holiday gift for your favorite dog lover these candles and jars are simple and inexpensive to make.  I made several different versions using only a few supplies (listed below).  Nothing about this project in itself takes very long, however, you do have to let layers of the project dry overnight for the best results.

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To light up the smaller finished candle holders I dropped in an inexpensive votive so the candle will be re-usable.

Supply List:

  • mod podge
  • candles and jars
  • color tissue paper
  • vintage pet photos
  • snow flake or clear glitter
  • sponge brush
  • ribbon/various embellishments
  • Distress Ink Pad to age your images

jarsI used three different items to make my projects.  I used a canning jar to make a candy dish, a plain glass candle holder (purchased at the dollar store) and a tall votive candle (also purchased at the dollar store).

paper For my vintage dog pictures I used the Christmas Cavallini Dog paper that I ordered from the PaperSource for $3.95/sheet.  You could use any pictures you want though and old greeting cards work great too.  I like the Cavallini papers because they are a heavy duty paper that won’t tear when you are working on projects.  The images also don’t run or fade.

20140920_110737To get my project started I cut my images out from my Cavallini papers….for some candles I tore the images I have a rough edge on all sides of the image.  I like to stain this images with Distress Ink to make them look older.  I selected the tissue I was going to use with each candle and candle holder and cut it to the appropriate size for each project.  It is better to make your tissue cut larger than smaller.

20140920_110917Coat your candle (or candle holder) with a fair amount of Mod Podge and literally roll your paper on to the candle.  Don’t worry about wrinkles, they won’t show once we add the glitter…but do worry about tears…if the paper tears you will have light showing through and your finished project will looks sloppy…so work really carefully with your tissue.  Once you are done let this dry overnight (you can let it dry for a shorter period of time…my general rule with mod podge though is to let layers dry overnight so I don’t end up with a tacky finished product).

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Put a layer (generous) of mod podge on the back of your chosen picture and place it on the candle or candle holder.  Smooth out any puckers or wrinkles.  Because you are placing it on a round surface you will get some wrinkling.  Put a light layer of mod podge over the front of your image and let it dry overnight.

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Cover the entire candle – EXCEPT the image – with a light layer of mod podge…sprinkle with glitter and let dry overnight.  If you want a finsihed project that does not shed glitter than go back over the dry project with another layer of Mod Podge (dab with a sponge brush).  You will lose some sparkle but have considerably less mess.  Let dry overnight.

I embellished each candle with items I had in craft stash…ribbon, greens, ornaments, bells, etc.

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20141202_054457For the candy jar:  I used a mason jar and red tissue paper.  The tissue paper can be wrinkled and when you apply it to the jar there is no need to smooth out any wrinkles as the glitter will hide the wrinkles.  You do want to be sure there are no tears though.  If you have a tear in the tissue paper light will show through and your finished project will look sloppy.  I tore out the image I wanted to use as the focal point of my jar.  I used vintage photo distress ink to age the paper.  I did not want light shining through the jar so I added some paint to the Mod Podge before I applied it to the vase.

The steps to get the paper on the jar are 1) cut your paper in a strip that will wrap all the way around your jar.  2) Coat your jar with mod podge (not too much or your going to have a mess, too little and your paper will tear).  3)  Wrap your paper around the wet jar and cut off any excess paper.  4) Let the project dry (I usually let this dry overnight).  5) Coat the back of your vintage image with mod podge (generously) and place smoothly on your jar- do not put paint in your mod podge for this step.  Once it is securely placed where you want it put a light coat of mod podge over image.   Let dry overnight.  6) Coat your jar (with the exception of your image) with a layer of mod podge (no paint) and then sprinkle with glitter, let dry overnight.  Optional step: If you don’t want any glitter flaking off your project re-coat the glitter with a light layer of mod podge (use a sponge brush and lightly dab).  You will lose a little of the sparkle but in return will not have glitter flaking off the jar … which would be problematic if you are using it for a candy jar.

candy jar 1

candy jar 2candy jar 3Here are some more photos of the finished jars….

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Here are some other ideas for quick holiday gifts….there are free tutorials for all of these on my Craft Page!

MAson Jar Hostess gifts 015

heart clipsDIY Dog Gatesbookmark imprint

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Pet Parent Resources: Do slow feeder bowls really work?

Slow feeder bowls for dogs who eat too fast…

Most dogs are speed eaters…but Turnip was the first time I had a dog in the house who ate so fast that he vomited his food right back up within minutes.

look at that faceTurnip came here as a foster dog.  Given Turnip spent most of his life outside on a chain and terribly neglected I can understand why he eats while the eatin’ is good.  But we had to find a solution to help him keep his food down as he was a very thin dog with looming health issues.

I feed my dogs a mix of premium kibble and homemade doggie casserole (fresh chicken, veggies and fruit).   My own four dogs are used to eatin’ yummy food but for Turnip it was such a bonanza that his food disappeared in seconds.  For weeks I was hand feeding Turnip tiny bits of his meals at a time to keep him from vomiting or gagging.  But with six dogs and three cats in the house I really needed to find a long term solution to help him keep his food down that was a little more time efficient for me than hand feeding.

I had certainly heard of slow feeder bowls but never used one before.  I picked up the Martha Stewart slow feeder bowl at Pet Smart (it was about $20).   It worked remarkably well in terms of slowing Turnip down.  Turnip always gets served his bowl of food last (out of six dogs) when he was speed eating he would always be the first one of the six dogs eating (unless I hand fed him).  With the Martha Stewart bowl Turnip now is munching his meal long after the other dogs are finished and he has not vomited up a meal since we started using it.  pPETNA-5209436_main_t300x300

I chose this particular slow feeder bowl because it has a no slip bottom and the three feeder lumps in the middle seemed more likely to slow down food consumption (which is exactly what they did).  The only thing missing about this bowl is that it not on a pedestal or riser; we had to make a small riser for Turnip to eat comfortably at the appropriate level.   We give this bowl a rating of four out of five paws.

The only reason this bowl didn’t get a five paw rating is that it is made of melamine.  Melamine has long been used for dishes and has been deemed safe.  Howe41pOWoWDNVLver, if you remember back in 2007/2008 there were pet poisonings related to melamine that was used as a filler in pet food.  So melamine in any form needs to be used with caution.  Tableware made of melamine is deemed safe by the FDA (click here to see the guidelines and comments by the FDA).  However, when using anything made of melamine it should NOT be put in a microwave or a dishwasher (if you do this by accident I would throw the bowl away even if it says it is dishwasher safe).

Because of the melamine issue I also tried out a stainless steel slow feeder.  We tried the Durapet Stainless Steel Slo Feeder (Small).  I ordered it off of Amazon for $12.00.  This bowl gets one out of five paws…and only because its the only stainless steel option do I rate it at all.  I prefer to use stainless steel dog bowls from a safety and sanitary perspective but from the perspective of slowing down Turnip’s eating pace…it made little to no difference at all.  I don’t recommend this bowl.

We also tridownloaded the Kyjen Slo-Bowl Slow Feeder Slow Feed Interactive Bloat Stop Dog Bowl.  I ordered it off of Amazon for $13.00.  This bowl gets four out of five paws as well.  It did a great job of slowing down Turnip’s eating…just as good as the Martha Stewart bowl.  However, it is a little more challenging for me to keep clean.  Again, this one is made of plastic and while it is BPH free, etc. it is still plastic…so no microwave or dishwasher action.

Turnip is rotating between eating out of the Martha Stewart bowl and the Kyjen bowl and we no longer have issues with him vomiting up his food.

 

What if your dog just lifts the slow feeder bowl and dumps it?   While he is a fast eater Turnip was not impatient enough to lift up the slow feeder bowl and dump his food.  I have watched several video reviews of slow feeder bowls being picked up and dumped over by larger breeds who were frustrated with having to work to get their food out of the bowl.  Clever dogs…but not helpful if you are trying to slow down the dog’s eating pace.  If this were the situation with Turnip I would still have worked with the slow feeder bowls.  However,I would have integrated the bowl more slowly and trained him to use it.  I would have done this by only putting a small amount food at a time in the bowl and rewarding (him) with more food in the bowl for working  at getting the food out of the bowl without dumping it.   This would be a great time to bring out the clicker!

turnip 2I hope this was helpful!  Check out my Pet Parent Resource Guide for other reviews and tips I have written for pet parents!  Also keep in mind that I sell my Pet Rescue Art and Pet Adoption and Pet Sympathy Cards at my Rescue Mama ETSY Shop!
Rescue On!

Nancy

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Pet Craft Christmas Garland Dog Leash Craft Tutorial

Pet Craft – Christmas Garland Dog Leash – free craft tutorial

imprint main Looking for a fun pet craft for Christmas?  I have a lot of fun making my dogs stylish gear for each holiday season.  This leash design is my favorite for them for Christmas. What could be more fun than Christmas garland loops and sparkly yarn? It is never too early to start on Christmas projects and shopping, Kringles was modeling this leash back in July!

If you like to crochet here is a free step by step in a pdf file: Garland Leash Tutorial.

Check out my Craft Tutorial page for more ideas for great (and free) pet craft tutorials!

leash

If you don’t crochet for yourself I have a few of these leashes available for the holiday season at my ETSY shop.  Use the coupon code “NEWCUSTOMER” for 10% of your first purchase.


scarf

Are you a pet lover, animal rescue advocate or a crafter…follow my blog for fun pet news and articles and fun tutorials.  I post to my blog 1-3 times per week and to my Facebook and Pinterest daily.

Rescue On!

Nancy (and Kringles)

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Pet Craft – Old Coca Cola Crate becomes pet bed…

Pet Craft – Upcycle an old Coca Cola crate in to a pet bed….

I made this:

For the Coca Cola Fan
For the Coca Cola Fan
 

 From this:

  
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This is how I did it:

When I am upcycling something iconic like a Coca Cola crate I tend to leave the base item pretty much alone other than cleaning it and making a safety check for tacks, nails or sharp pieces of wood.  This crate was pretty old (it was stamped 1971) but in spite of its age the paint job was in pretty good shape.  Be careful washing something like this; I use Dawn and rub very gently so I don’t remove any more paint than has already aged off.

I added bun feet to the bottom of this bed…I add them to most beds…its such a nice finishing touch.   You can buy bun feet at most home improvement stores.  They are a bit spendy so next time you are tossing away something old that has bun feet on it…take them off for your next project!  My husband drilled the holes such that the bolt for the feet would be sunk down in the base of the crate.

20140903_125021 20140903_125027 I painted the bun feet with primer and then red craft paint (glossy).  To get the cleanest paint job I can (no brush strokes) I use my artist level paint brushes …its a bit spendy but I get a much nicer finish.  I use artist level paint brushes on pretty much any piece of furniture I paint.  Working always in one direction keeps the brush strokes away too.

 

20140903_124901 My preferred material for cushions in pet beds is High Density Smart Foam.  Its mildew resistant, flame resistant, holds its shape and is super comfy.  You can find it at Hobby Lobby but it is a little spendy (wait for a coupon).  I buy it wholesale or it would not be practical to use it in beds that I sell.  I cut the cushion first based on the size of the box.  The best way to cut this foam is with an electric knife (like you use to carve the turkey).  Once I have my cushion cut I measure the cushion for the cover and add 1/2 an inch to each side and piece I need to cut to make a pattern.  I always make my pattern on paper first and test it around my cushion before I cut my fabric.

I sew the cushion together inside out on all sides but for one last opening which I sew Velcro in to.  It just seems impractical to have a dog bed you can’t pull apart for washing or replacing the cushion if necessary (accidents happen often with pets…or just drool over time).

20140903_130537 For this cushion cover I embroidered paw prints randomly on the top piece (BEFORE I SEWED IT TOGETHER).  I found this particular design on the Dakota Collectibles website (shop on Friday’s – good deals).  The cushion could easily have been embellished with iron on pieces or non-toxic fabric paint, etc.

Once the final cushion cover is assembled stuff the cushion in and Velcro it closed.  Waa laa!

I had a blast making this bed…enjoy!

If you interested in purchasing a pet bed feel free to browse my selection on my ETSY shop, use the coupon code “NEWCUSTOMER” for 10% of your first purchase.   Looking for inspiration for your own dog beds or pet crafts…check out my Bed Gallery and Craft Page!  If you love all things pets …feel free to follow my blog.  I post 1-3 times per week on pet care, pet crafts, pet rescue, pet art and more.  I post daily on my Facebook and Pinterest pages.

 

Happy crafting and Rescue On!

Nancy

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This bee box has gone to the dogs!

Antique Bee Box made in to a pet bed!
I made this:

brigth background two

from this:

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I had an absolute blast making this pet bed.  It would work for either a small dog or a cat (or frankly even for a doll bed).  I am flush with pet beds in my house so this one is going up for sale on my ETSY shop.  What do you think of this one?  Looking for ideas to make your own beds?…check out Bed Gallery and Craft Page!  If you love all things pet subscribe to my blog… I post 1-3 articles per week on my blog and daily on my Facebook and Pinterest pages.

Rescue On!

Nancy

 

 

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Got Rescue?

Pawffiti…important messages from the pets we love through art…

My husband and I recently made an out of state move (MN to KY)… while I couldn’t be happier that I have said goodbye to MN winters forever… moving is really a miserable process.  Last week I had about enough of the unpacking of boxes and cleaning as any person could take. I decided the work could wait and I took to my paints and finished up some really fun pieces that will posted to my ETSY store throughout this week.

What do you think of this one? This is a 20×20 acrylic Pawffiti inspired by my Sparky.
front large good1

side view

close up bottom

left side

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Our sweet travel dog…

 

puppy latte We recently returned from our road trip to Kentucky.  We were shopping for a new home!  We took Lacey Mae with us on this trip.  She was a trooper!  It took us 13 hours to get from MN to KY and we spent four days house shopping and exploring a new town.  Lacey rocked it, she behaved like an angel and made a bunch of new friends!  Every morning we went to the Starbuks drive thru and she got a Puppy Latte (just whip cream) – she loved it.  We had such a great time traveling with her…Rescue Dogs Rock!

Won’t be posting much as making an out of state move is consuming every moment of our days right now.  We will be back from our new home in KY with regular posts by the end of July!

Have a great summer!

Rescue On!

Nancy

lacey sleeping
Lacey out cold in her car seat!

 

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Patriotic dog!

mainHoliday leash!

How do you like my new leash designed for the patriotic dog?

Dogs can be patriots too! I just finished this leash and Kringles will be wearing his on Memorial Day weekend!

This leash is 36 inches long and made from a heavy duty but sparkly (silver sparkles) yarn!  Both ends of the leash are highlighted with a crochet flower with a red pom pom in the middle.  The snap hook I used on these is a 2 inch swivel.   There are two jingles bells sewn under the flower by the snap hook – because why shouldn’t a dog with style make a little jingle when they walk?

leash w background  If you do your own crocheting here is a basic tutorial for how I make these leashes  Crocheted Leash Tutorial, if not they are available on my ETSY store.

Rescue On!

Nancy

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No Kill…Join the Revolution

A few days ago I posted a news story in Medina OH about a local shelter destroying its gas chamber and going “No Kill”.  I was so inspired by the story that a new painting was born…what do you think?

Inspired by a news story regarding another shelter becoming a No Kill shelter!
Inspired by a news story regarding another shelter becoming a No Kill shelter!
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Pet Sympathy Card

imprintHandmade card for the loss of a beloved dog.

 

I just added this new card to my Anima line of products for those mourning the loss of a beloved pet.  Feel free to contact me if you have questions about techniques I use to make my cards.  If you are interested in purchasing my cards, most are available at my ETSY Shop.  If you use the coupon code “NEWCUSTOMER” you will receive 10% off your first purchase.  I do offer discounts to veterinarians and other pet professionals who purchase multiple cards at a time.

Rescue On!

Nancy

big close up inside poem

 

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Pet Rescue Art: A Rescue Dog’s Prayer

Original Painting – A Rescue Dog’s Prayer

A Shelter Dog's Prayer

What do you think of my painting?

This is a pastel on velvet paper.  I just love working in pastels and despite what many people think, they are a permanent paint.  This sweet dog praying in his shelter “cell”  with graffiti behind him has a special prayer for anyone looking for a dog.  Most of my pastel paintings have a dimension item to them, in this case its wire for the effect of his cage.   The poem was written by me.

shelter prayer 005 shelter prayer 003

This painting is on file with the US Copyright Office.

Check out my Art Gallery for other Pet Rescue Art I have done.  Many of my paintings and cards are available for purchase at my ETSY shop use the coupon code “NEWCUSTOMER” for 10% off your first purchase.  Are you a pet rescue advocate and just love all things pets?  Follow my blog for pet news, art and ideas for handmade gifts for the pet and pet lover!  I post 1-3 times per week to my blog and daily on Facebook and Pinterest.

Rescue On!

Nancy

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Handmade Pet Sympathy Card

Handmade card for loss of dog

Sympathy poemThis is one of my original designs for a sympathy card.  This card starts with a base card stock of recycled paper.  I stain it (all sides) and then heavily emboss the front.  There is a distressed, stained and embossed piece of cream cards stock that is largely covered with the poem and embellishments but it creates a lovely accent behind the poem.  All of the embellishments are stained to match and some of them are stamped with designs.

This is one of my favorite cards, what do you think?

Sympathy cards 015(inside of card)


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Real men are kind to animals

Original Painting – Real men are kind to animals

real men 002What do you think of this painting?

This is one of my original paintings.  It is pastels on velvet paper.  I usually add something dimensional to my paintings.  In this case it is a bad boy spike collar on the dog (see angled picture below).

real men 003  Copyright Nancy Halverson

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Celebrate Pet Rescue with a handmade dog adoption card!

Celebrate Every Dog Adoption!

I released a cat adoption card last week …so here is one for the pups!

A pet adoption is a life saving event so why not honor the event with a card!  Thinking of any dog sitting in a shelter waiting for a family breaks my heart and I wince at the thought of how many never make it to a family – so when adoption magic does happen I get very excited!
I am really happy with how this card turned out, do you like it?

It is a very simple design.  I used a base recycled card stock that I stained black with Distress Stain, pearlized and randomly stamped with opaque paw prints.  I layered a piece of black card stock on the front that I embossed with paw prints.  You can find the paw print embossing folder I used at JoAnne’s for a just a few bucks – I love that design! The dog silouhette is hand painted – first with heavy gesso and again with white acrylic paint

I added a paw print ribbon (I believe Michael’s has similar ribbon) with a wooden heart that is painted red and stamped with paw prints.  I buy these little wood hearts in bulk – you can do so much with them!

The inside of the card is plain white card stock and it reads ” Some of the world’s greatest love stories began at the local shelter.”

Rescue Inside

If you are not crafty yourself, I sell my cards on my ETSY store , use coupon code “NEWCUSTOMER” for 10% off.

Rescue On!

Nancy

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Handmade Pet Sympathy Card

february 6th 088Pet Sympathy Card

I finished this sympathy card last night.  I spend quite a bit of my studio time on pet sympathy cards.  I know all to well the grief experienced when a beloved pet dies and hope to provide sentiments that can bring comfort to others.

This card is made from a base recycled card stock.  I stained it blue with Distress Stain and dry brushed it with cream acrylic paint (you can see the effect in the second picture).   I hand painted a silhouette on the front of the card using a layer of heavy gesso first and then black acrylic paint.  The heart, lace and flowers are all stained to match the rest of the card and finished off with perfect pearls.

The front of the card reads; “How blessed we are to have loved them so much that it makes saying goodbye so very, very hard.”    I print my greetings on to card stock with my laser printer and then spray the card stock with fixative so they won’t smudge.  This is a far more cost effective method than buying stamps.

The inside of the card reads; “with sympathy for your faithful and loyal friend.”  If you are ever in need of any cards or gifts for pet sympathy; I have a nice selection in my ETSY shop (www.etsy.com/shop/TheRescueMama).  Use the coupon code “NEWCUSTOMER” for 10% off.

february 6th 091Rescue On!

Nancy