Bazaar Bizarre Boston and some other good news.

Well, I got the application in for the Bazaar Bizarre Boston today, the last day for applications. Kim and I applied together, I love the fact that we will have each other for support, so that we can go to the bathroom or take a break without worrying about the table. She helped so much with the application, she wrote most of the wording and I am super happy with how it sounds and looks. My pictures aren't the best, but with the link to my and Kim's etsy stores, I hope they will see the vision. I have been a bit stressed out the last couple of days over this, so now I can relax knowing that I did all I could.

Also, the gallery got decked out today with our new show for September "Life is a bowl of..." It is looking so colorful and fun in there, I hope everyone has a chance to come check it out during the month of September! You can even vote on your favorite piece!

More good news... the South End Open Markets has extended an invitation for members of Boston Handmade to showcase their work, and you better believe that I am taking them up on it! This is a huge showcase of handcraftiness that runs all summer long and Boston Handmade will be a show in a show on October 12th. I am so happy about this since I did apply to their Baked Fresh show for October 5th, but the jewelry slots were full, so I didn't get in. I am not discouraged tho, I got a really pleasant rejection letter stating that they were "impressed" with my work "but the jewelry category is full", so there is that.

Wow, this has been an incredible week. Everything above aside (all incredible stuff!), my morning office just moved from Needham to Canton. So, now I have the most incredible drive through trees, a country club and a cemetery. There is only one stoplight on my way now, and it is right at the start. My morning commute is now cut down to a pleasant 6 minutes from a trafficy horrible 30 minutes. The new office is located above a shopping center and I even have a window to look out of now (see the two windows above chico's? one of them is mine!)! Yeah, that needed exclamation points separated by a parentheses.

Sisters!

Last August, my sisters and I went to Oakley, Utah for a surprise 70th birthday party for my Dad. While we were there, I saw a framed Polaroid photo of my sisters and I enjoying some candy canes. The outfits and poses were just priceless, I asked him if he could make a copy for me, and he did.

Can you pick out which one is me? Heehee!

Anyhow, fast forward to a couple of months ago when Ann Gorbett brought some fabulous oil paintings done from old time photos of her family to the gallery, and I knew that this image I had of my sisters and I needed to be interpreted by her and her incredible use of a palette knife.

Here are the paintings that inspired my request.

Photo courtesy of Kim Morin Weineck.
And a close up of my favorite.
Photo courtesy of Kim Morin Weineck.

Today, she brought in the finished painting, and I couldn't be happier with it! It's 10" X 10" just the perfect size.

And of course a close up of just us kids...

I couldn't be more pleased with how it came out. It will definitely be prominently displayed in my home as soon as I can stop picking it up to look at it.

Life is a bowl...

It's coming right down to the wire to have your submission in for the challenge, Life is a bowl of... presented by Custom Art Framing and Gallery 9

I have my entry in the tumbler right now, ready to submit tommorrow, the last day of submissions. Whew, it looks like I'll make it, barely!

While I was finishing my entry (a ring, but you have to be patient to see it), I was making another ring and this other ring, I am truly proud of since it is my first prong setting ( a ruby is proudly set on top!). It is currently tumbling right along with the challenge piece. I can't wait to show them both off.

Idiot Alert!

You've got to be kidding me!



I got behind this thing in the drive-thru at Dunkin Donuts this morning.
I wanted to get out of my car to scold the driver, but I thought better of it.

Rusty walks again.

Some serious progress has been made in the curing of Rusty's dominant, aggressive alpha dog syndrom. I went to Petco after work last night and bought this gem of a collar...I AM THE ALPHA DOG DAMNIT, what I say goes!!...but I digress...

Kristen suggested this collar, or a harness that clips at the chest, and since this is what I found at Petco, this is what I went with.

Actually he looked nothing like the dog on the package. That dog looks comfortable and content, Rusty looked more like he was sentenced to life in prison. He did however, walk without pulling, lunging or barking, and I was able to keep him right at my side where he could see my feet walking before his. I am the alpha dog after all (I will keep saying that so shut up!).

I tried it out just walking back and forth in front of the house at first. I was initially nervous that he could get out of it, and since I fastened the gentle lead not only to his leash, but also to his collar, I was especially concerned. He was defiant at first, thrashing his head back and forth trying to get out of the contraption, but settled down after a while. I was pleased.

We actually took a long walk last night, which I have been reading is good for his instinct. Regardless of who is leading the walk, walks satisfy a primal instinct in dogs and I could tell that he was happy to walk again even with all the initial thrashing. I haven't walked him since the biting started, so I was super happy to take him out when very few people or animals were around.

We did come across a couple of people getting into cars, a few night joggers, and a few barking dogs and he did not try to chase after anything and did not bark or lunge at all. He showed some mild interest when we passed a house with a couple of dogs in the front yard protecting their territory and he did not lunge or make a peep, he just kept up with me and the walking.

He also spent a lot of time lying at my feet yesterday and following me around. I think he is starting to get it. I hope today will be a repeat of yesterday and I hope I can keep posting good things about Rusty.

My new hat and scarf for the winter

It's hot out there now, but I am already planning my winter get-up.

This photo was taken directly from the etsy listing, courtesy knittydirtygirl. I just want to snuggle it!


Well, it isn't exactly a hat and scarf yet, but it will be. This is my new favorite color combination and I am pleased to speak it's name...Godzilla eats Pumkins wicked and refreshing. Yeah, I said that.

Check out Knittydirtygirl I love her style, and I love her yarn. It's handspun and handdyed goodness.


How cool is this photo (also courtesy of knittydirtygirl) of the yarn in a dye bath? I love it!

It's been a while since I picked up my crochet hooks to use with yarn and not sterling silver wire. I am going back to fiber, for my coveted hat and scarf I can't wait to post the finished items. I haven't received the yarn yet, but I know that it is going to be just wonderful, and I can't wait!!!!

I know you're all jealous! Well, except for Holly, she has her own yarn porn, but I am sure she will drool over these most luscious skeins. Drool, Holly, drool!

Becoming an alpha dog

If you read the previous post, you have probably been on pins and needles waiting to hear about the wonderful accomplishments that we made with Rusty and the trainer on Friday. Well, you're not going to hear any of that. Things did not go so well. In fact, things were downright sour. I am embarrassed and not amused by Rusty's behavior.

Kristen came into our yard and met Rusty while he was on leash and the initial meeting was a whole lot of barking and lunging, so Scott took Rusty inside and we started talking. Kristen had me fill out a questionnaire of sorts, to find out what the key behavior problems were that we wanted to deal with, and find out a bit of Rusty's background that we knew of. We told her the only history that we knew...that he was a stray...that we didn't know for how long... the condition that Rusty was in when he was found...his various ailments he overcame, his foster care before us, his return to a kill shelter...and so on. She compiled a sort of plan to deal with his issues.

Once we were done with the initial consultation, Kristen wanted to meet Rusty. She had me go inside and get some cheese so that she had something that he liked to offer him. She had been briefed on his biting and was not a bit scared or nervous. I was also not a bit nervous as Kristen is a dog trainer and if she came to this house after all the warning, I thought she could handle him. Things didn't go as I planned.

Kristen was sitting, and Rusty made a beeline to her. She had treats, I know he knew that. He jumped in her lap at first. She gave up the treats. She stood up, and he grabbed her inside elbow with his mouth when she did. I think she probably has a bruise there now. He didn't break the skin, but I did see some purple teeth marks after a few minutes.

So, we are left with the realization that we have an aggressive, dominant dog who may never allow guests into our yard let alone our home (we need to nip this in the bud!). Since this most unfortunate realization, I have been changing my behavior. I am becoming the alpha dog. It sounds silly, but it is working. Tonight, he actually followed me slowly up the stairs instead of plowing me down to be the first one up. I have made some changes in the way I treat him, and I think this may work.

He has become defiant, stopped listening to me, but he has also begun showing a few signs of stress, so I think that he knows that there is a change in power taking place.

So in recap: Friday night after the unfortunate incident, I had become temporary alpha. Saturday all day, Rusty was in denial (he ignored me as much as he could, which was a lot) so to me, he thought he was back to alpha (although I was not buying it). Sunday night (I was gone most of the day) Rusty is starting to follow me. I am becoming the alpha dog. Pray for me and him! This is truly his last chance. I think if we return him to the rescue he will not make the cut. He is too smart for his britches, and he doesn't have any chances left. We're it.

I WILL be the Alpha dog!!!!!!
Rusty WILL look to me for guidance. It's my wish. For him to live. Fucking dog!

First Vet Appointment

Rusty's first vet appointment (since he has been with us) went very well. He likes Dr. Thorne, she gives him cheese.
I was a little nervous at first because there were other dogs in the waiting area and Rusty was extremely vocal and showing his strength. I took him outside until the dogs were mostly gone, and he calmed down a bit, frogged out on the floor, and just whined. When we got into the examination room, I took him off leash and he let Dr. Thorne examine him (sort of) after she fed him cheese and he slobbered all over her hands.

So now he is on Frontline, and Heartworm medication finally. He will have some other shots in January when his rabies is due.

I hope Friday goes as well as today did. We have a trainer coming over, I will keep you posted.

I miss LOST

Jennifer O'Neil

Custom Art Framing and Gallery 9 had our first 'First Friday' (on the second friday of August) featuring Jennifer O'Neil.

It was a nice cozy show. I love her abstract watercolors. I bought this piece.


I left it hanging at the gallery since it just got put up on Friday. I want as many people to see it before it comes home to me.



I do have other framing plans for it, so I took a close up picture so I can ponder it. This is not the entire painting, I know it is a bit larger, but I won't see it until I take it apart. I will be sure to take a picture of it when I release it from its current housing.

This painting reminded me of a painting that Jenn had hanging at the gallery a few months ago, I experienced some hard-core non-buyer remorse after the painting sold, and I truly missed it. So I am super pleased to be the owner of this one.

Upcoming featured 'First Friday' artists include Kerry Hawkins in September, Jude McGinn in October, and me in November!

JP Artisan Fair

Only two more days until the first Thursday of August...and you know what that means?

It means JP First Thursdays of course.



Please check out the website for all the info on the art and festivities up and down Center/South street.

I will be exhibiting along with my Etsy group BostonHandmade, we will be set up on the lawn of The Curtis Hall Community Center (next to the library) in Jamaica Plain from about 5-8pm.

I hope to see you all there!

Life is a bowl...

Custom Art Framing and Gallery 9 in Norwood, Ma. is having a fun contest/gallery show/charity event called "Life is a bowl". The contest is open to any artist in any medium who would like to interpret "Life is a bowl" as they see it.

Please check out
Life is a bowl for more information about this fun event and all the fine print.

The drop-off deadline is August 22nd, approved artwork will be hung the week of August 29th, and the official opening of the show is September 12 & 13th. During September 1st - 25th the gallery will be accepting votes from the general public at large for the winner of "Fan Favorite". The winner will receive a $200 gift certificate good towards framing or gallery art.

I can't wait to see the submissions. Dozens of local artists interpreting "Life is a bowl" is sure to be a surreal pleasure to say the least.