Animal Portraits Win A Gold Ribbon

fair horse & agility 002 (2)
Originally uploaded by PitBullLadyDesigns

My needle felted animal heads have a Gold Ribbon Award from Barry County Fair Open Class and a paid trip to 2009 MI State Fair (unless they sell of course)!!!

best second day photo

best second day photo
Originally uploaded by PitBullLadyDesigns

My second attempt at a Craft/Art Sale booth Ever!!!! I'm much happier than from my first try the week before.

The metal framework & tables are permanent and I borrowed the tent.

The sign is a gift from my husband and the artwork is a original from a picture of my Daughter's Ready that I use for my flyer.

My 2 boys have a small piece of table just to the picture's right with sculpty clay sculpture and then I put up a Pit Bull Information Booth on the end of that.

Guinea Pigs

Guinea Pigs
Originally uploaded by PitBullLadyDesigns

Needle felt Guinea Pigs' make their first run to an art show and loved it. High pitched squeals & stamping feet are their way of showing excitement, luckily the needle felt one are bred to be quiet. Drama is wearing a taco as his holloween costume. If you get the joke please let me know. . . it has flopped with most people so far.

Both these lovelies sold in 3 hours of listing them on Etsy to a lovely guinea pig collector in France!!! I listed them with full permission of my 2 youngest kids. Thank you very much! LOL. . .

Just a sample of graduation gifts that I have made this year! My own kid, of course, wants something that I can't make!!!

Library

Biggest News in a while! I'm now a part-time librarian!!

I've always loved our local library and used the interloan system that allows us to partake of the 80 libraries in the cooperative!! My kids, from oldest to youngest, have always been excited to borrow books and videos and lately enjoy the computer access that is available.

Well, now I'm a librarian in our just a year old Library building that has all the wonderful bells and whistles that the community wanted. We have a teen room (with study chairs, ottomons, benches, interlocking table for groups, teen computers, etc. AND a kids room with play area in a tower, benches, toys, puppet cubby, children's computers (w/internet), board games, project tables & reading area!!!!

Owl is visiting a Treasury

Treasury 3
Originally uploaded by paintgranny

Thinkingoutsidethebox2008 added my little owl to her treasury!!!

front page icraft

front page icraft
Originally uploaded by PitBullLadyDesigns

My orange cuff/cozy made it to the front page of icraft and I'm so excited

My Barn Owl is Finally Ready

The Barn Owl that has been giving me problems has emerged from his poking looking pretty good. . .

sculpty flower pin 004 (2)

sculpty flower pin 004 (2)
Originally uploaded by PitBullLadyDesigns

teacher's gift!! sculpty clay pin by pitbullladydesigns and minipit

Here is my Half-A-Booty Booty Bag with a Orange Barred Sulphur Butterfly needle felted on it for the March NFEST challenge . . .unless of course, I decide to make more bugs.

New eye glass case that is listed at my store on etsy.

<<<<<

>>>> Purse that I'm working on but can't finish because I'm not satisfied with my palamino head yet!!! Some one help me, something is off on the proportions and I'm not getting it. . .

NFEST April Felting Challenge Entries

NFEST April Felting Challenge Entries
Originally uploaded by Draig Athar

Look at what some of my NFEST team members accomplished in the Oceana Theme for the month of April!!! Scrumptious Needle felting!!!!

I'm gonna try and do May's Theme...keep reminding me please!

I'm working on a wrist cuff and drink cozy design that can be used and worn. . .

Recycled/felted wool sweater with a needle felt design and velcro closure. . .

Searched Etsy and didn't see something simular. . . what do you think about it?

QuirkyBags is modeling her thank you gift/test model. . . plus the cuff matches her new purse from my store!

Just a Note: after finishing my lovely owl with orange feet. . . my daughter drew my attention to the fact that owls have feather colored or black feet. . . oh, well. . . back to the drawing board. ACK!!!!

Artist in Training

How do we create? Even better, how do we help our little ones create the visions that dance thru their brains? Just like adult artists, children have visions of creation that they can physically not yet be adept enough to produce. The frustration, the failed attempts, even the supportive comments from loved ones. . .

These are wonderful sculptures by my 8yo. . . dreaming to list and sell on etsy. . . just like mom (whom is swelled with pride because her 8 yo CALLED her an ARTIST) LOL.

This is the Unvailing of TheHolidayKid, drum roll please. . .

Barn Owl - In Process

It has taken me several trips around the acreage and lots of thinking to find the right way to display this needle felted owl. . . I'm thinking that the birchbark mini fence post wrapped in rusted wire will look really nice with this barn owl! Completed project should be listed in a few days.

MILESTONES: 200 Hearts on Etsy!

Pit Bulls are doing a "Happy Bully Dance" with me.

I am so excited. My store hit 200 "hearts" ♥ on Etsy! Yea! ChiliMango Designs ~*~Unique & Fun Handmade Jewelry at http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=51479 was my 200th "heart" and I've been having much fun browsing all the lovely shops that "heart" me!

For those of you that don't know what that means...Etsy "hearts" are a way of recognizing a favorite shop.

When I give a heart, it shows that I appreciate some aspect of that persons shop, work or talent. I think it is a great complement to be recognized by your peers.

Ummm. . . Dances with Cows!?!

Spring again!!! Fair projects are underway. . . Everytime I see this photo from a prior year, I have to laugh!

Looks like Dance with Cows!

My daughter playing with her young Brown Swiss heifer. . . Cha Cha daughter of Tango

Getting In Gear!!!

How do we as artist, force ourselves to continue working on projects, even when we don't feel like it or have issues that pull our attention away? I have so many things started right now that can't seem to settle on one and just plain finish it. . .

On the Upside:
First Dog Training 4-H meeting of the year and with fewer than our (in past years) 30 teams, we progressed faster and accomplished more with about 15 teams. Maybe limiting new members was the answer to some of our club's stress issues. . . My 7 yo is dancing in excitement to train his Cruiser dog!!! The 9yo said he doesn't want to train dogs but wishes that his Guinea Pig could be obedience trained like the dogs. . . LOL how these kid's minds work!

Horse Judging Team is doing well and the teens are pushing themselves to succeed which is better than the leaders pushing the kids. . . Pray for these kids that they excell at the upcoming competition on April 19. . .

Dressing Up Dogs. . .

Well, really we played dress up with the dogs. . .The rednose Cruiser seemed to enjoy dressing up but Ready (Blue & White) was all confused about what happened to Cruiser's dog parts. . .

Ready was really worried by the pants on this costume that Cruiser is wearing and he couldn't walk very well with her huge head between his legs looking for his missing parts. . . LOL no more costume pants for Cruiser. . . Poor boy, he loves pants.

My 7 year old, so loves his 4-H dog and can't wait to attend training classes this spring. Already practicing obedience in the house. Really cute when a pit bull takes commands and direction from a little one.

Isn't it cute that some dogs enjoy dressing up and others look totally put out. My daughter's Ready always looks put out and the

new male Cruiser acts like he is cool!!!

THERAPY DOG VISITS WITH PIT BULLS, of course

dogs from our 4-H club doing a short demo before visiting...

stop talking. . .there is people to be licked over there

First home petting time (there were kids there), dogs had a hard time demoing anything with kids so close! Harley, TDI, gets petted first, Ready (in training) waits in line.

Ready is being urged to greet a very fragile acting lady, and the next picture shows how it went.

Ready was very hesitant with the fragile older ladies, but after their hands were placed on the top of her head, she gently and happily licked everywhere she could reach .

These girls w/Harley & Ready do a large amount of PR for our favorite breed and who can resist pretty, young girls with well trained, beautiful dogs. I have seen even people who wouldn't give the breed a chance if handled by an adult, listen nicely and love on the pits handled by knowledgable young people.

Harley, TDI, doesn't care what else is there (Little One the toy poodlish thing) or going on if only he can get petted. He almost pouted because the kids did a short demo before each visiting session. Ready says thanks for the petting, but that Little One doesn't like me. . .Ohhh, empty hands over there. Why do I get the girl that takes time to talk with each patient. . .there are empty laps calling my head and hands to stroke me.

Oh La La, more petting for the love starved pit bull and Ready is finding out that shaking, fragile hand can handle petting a big dog. . .she is really careful about her approach to the more fragile of the patients. But her favorite patient of the day was a gentleman, who's mind was fading, but his health was still robust. The shine in his eyes to hold a big dog said it all.

I love the stable temperment on pits. . .this was Ready's second visit and we are so proud of how she handles it all. Many of our 4-H dogs have reactions to the equipment in nursing homes, wheel chairs, canes, walkers, etc. for the first time, but I have never noticed our pits even glancing at these items. Pits seem to take it all in stride, like people just come with thoses items attached to them.

My first puppy (back in the early 80's) off of Panda's Gallant Finale at 4 months of age, on lead leaped into the lap on a young man in a wheel chair and embarrassed me (we were walking thru a art festival). He laughed delightedly and wanted to keep her (as she is cleaning his face), because he said all the dogs he knew no longer liked him because of the chair. I don't think she even saw the wheel chair as anything other than a way to reach his face easier. Needless to say, I have gotten much better at keeping an eye on ANYTHING my fearless love sponges can get into.

My daughter is sooo much better at this than me, and she does the TDI visits. The first visit, my daughter only wanted to go and do the demo portion (obedience, agility, tricks). But one of the residents was blind and wanted to see Ready with her hands and have Steph give her a more indepth discription on her tricks. What pit puppy can resist an all over body rub without washing a face in thanks?