Sleeping Dogs Studio

A new month tomorrow…it’s still cold, and we don’t yet know if the groundhog will see his shadow!  Given the potential for six more weeks of winter, it seems only right to have something small to celebrate…

Due to that fact, and in honor of my Mom’s birthday this coming week, I am launching my first giveaway!

Three of our current "Mini" frame options

I have had great fun updating Etsy with lots of these great 4″ X 4″ frames that we call “Mini’s”.  They are perfect for your desk at work, to show on a bookcase, or even in a grouping at home.

More "Mini's"...

From those who submit a comment to this post and include the phrase “Giveaway – (your e-mail goes here)” – I will ask my Mom to pick a winner at random on Friday, February 4th.  You must have your submission entered and received by 5 p.m. to be eligible.

Here it is! "Fan Dance", the Giveaway Mini!

So – be good, and maybe YOURS will be the lucky name she picks!    (Believe me, my Mom will KNOW if you’ve been good…she’s got a sixth sense that way…)

Be on the look-out too – this whole giveaway thing could be addictive…maybe weekly specials are around the corner?!?

I grew up in central Illinois, where we typically got our share of snow – and once winter came, snow and ice pretty much stuck around for the a good three to four months.  As a result, snow boots were a staple.

Since moving to southern Indiana, there’s much less need for snow boots – we have more rain than snow, and when the snow does come, it’s often gone the next day!  Imagine my chagrin then, to learn that the old, clunky snow boots I used to wear have been seriously upgraded in the ensuing years.  The possibilities are practically endless..

I would LOVE to have a pair of these - those red touches are just avant garde enough to be quirky without going over the top.  And check out the red and white polka dots on the inside!

Or how about these?  Ever practical, but stylish too.  I love the laces all the way up, and the faux shearling poking out over the top – can’t you just imagine how warm they would be?!

These boots are GORGEOUS!  “Tangy” – what a great, descriptive name for them!

But these are probably the most practical – I can certainly put them to good use when working in the studio, where my feet always seem to get cold!

I guess I’m going to need to move to Alaska – I’m up to four pair of boots, and I can’t justify purchasing any of them!  Of course, there’s always sandal season…

Guess until then I’ll have to concentrate on Etsy jewelry instead…   

I wanted to thank all of you who answered my request to assist the wonderful “A Place to Bark” facility.  Now that 2009 is over, Bernie recently communicated that they were able to save a whopping 611 dogs and 42 cats in that one year alone!   Animals like these:

Your contributions added to those of other animal lovers also made a difference in the match offered by the Zoline Foundation.  While the hoped for $23,000 was not reached, almost 200 donors did give over $10,000 which will be matched…thereby allowing A Place to Bark to move forward with so many essentials.  As Bernie describes it:

“…we are grateful for whatever we have collected.  In the next few months, we will have walls, plumbing, electric, heating & air!!!  All that will left to finish will be the veterinary equipment, washer/dryer, dishwasher, stainless steel sinks, kennels & veterinary cages. It’s been a tough year for all & financially everyone has been stretched, but you’ve come together for us and it’s been a MIRACLE to say the least.  Again: “THANK YOU ALL!!!”

I add my thanks to Bernie’s.  I believe that Ghandi had it right when he said:

“The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated. I hold that, the more helpless a creature, the more entitled it is to protection by man from the cruelty of man.”

Thanks to all of you who gave during tough times to those who don’t have a voice of their own.

I am finding the Mondo Beyondo experience I referenced earlier to be a fascinating one!  Not only are the exercises immensely helpful – even after only a week of work! – but the art and quotes that they present are so very inspirational.  Here was my personal favorite from last Friday:

It features wonderful art from one of the moderators, Jen Lemen…and I absolutely love the sentiment.

Be sure to check out the next session if you have an interest in getting help to “dream big” – you can find it at www.mondobeyondo.org.

Anyone who reads my blog knows how much I love animals.  I find it intriguing that so many artists agree with me, and share their lives with special dogs, cats, bunnies and all sorts of animals that make their homes more comfortable.

I “met” just such an artist when discovering a new and wonderful blog the other day.  It is authored by Geninne Zlatkis, and can be found here. Not only is she an amazing artist (I’d consider giving my right arm for the collection of her “20 birds” series), but she has one of the most lovely and funny dogs I’ve ever seen – he even has his own blog accessed from her site!

Meet Turbo – just look at that face!  His blog is a chronicle of him growing up since they got him as a puppy last summer, and he is about 8 months old now.  Below he is obviously auditioning for a Sleeping Dogs Studio recurring role…

As Geninne says, “He’s a keeper!”

Just goes to prove that artists – just like Geninne and Turbo! – have good taste in everything…   Thanks to the two of them for stopping by our blog…Jasmine and Owen were thrilled to have them visit.

…somehow I always feel funny admitting that.  There seems to be a stigma amongst some people when you admit that you love pink – as if you are a “girly-girl”, whose only childhood dream was to own “Barbie’s Dream House” – which definitely wasn’t me.

But as we embarked this past weekend upon making Valentines for our stores, Etsy, and friends and family, I was reminded of how much I LOVE pink! (And red, and orange…)

I was watching HGTV once, and heard a home designer say that those three colors don’t “go together”, which I found fascinating.  It seems to me that ALL colors go together, the more the merrier!

I realized that one reason I love creating not only our Valentines, but also all of our products is just because of this love of color.  It seems to me that “more is more” – I’d like to think that I’m not totally pushing the boundaries of good taste!  But I am definitely most in love with the products we produce that are over-the-top with color.

I think this is what we hope to create with our work – a color palette that makes people happy when they see it…that makes them say “I never thought of putting those colors together!”…that perhaps even makes them say “Wow!  I didn’t think I liked pink!”.