Vintage Mink Bears by Kathy Myers

Vintage Mink Bears by Kathy Myers
Click on banner to visit my Gallery Website

Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Coming soon: Mother's Day puppies!

I liked the first sitting puppy so much that I decided to make a second puppy and offer them adoptions for Mother's Day. Since this is a new design pattern I will send Adoption Invitations to everyone on my Mailing List. I should have them both finished in a day or two.

Update (May 1) ... the puppies are finished but ....


I usually take my photos outside and here in Southern California we have been having high winds and a heat wave so I have not been able to work outside. I tried to take some photos but it was just too windy so I'm hoping for better weather tomorrow. Once I have the photos I will be posting these puppies for adoption here on my blog and on Artists Bears International ... and I will send out Adoption Invitations by email to everyone on my Mailing List.

Saturday, April 26, 2014

Work in Progress ... new dog pattern

I have been working on a new dog pattern ... inspired by Keli's photo ...
(see Keli's story on my April 3 post ... I am continuing to update her story on that same post)


which reminded me of the old RCA logo of
"Nipper" the Jack Russell Terrier that was listening
for "his master's voice"




So I decided to design a new dog pattern ... a sitting dog. 
Here is my WIP


Yes, this dog will be available for adoption very soon ... to everyone since it is a brand new pattern design. I will send out email Adoption Invitations. (I like this pattern so much that I may make two dogs to offer).

In order to design a new pattern I had to take a break from working on my custom orders. I was just so bored with making the same teddy over and over that I HAD to design something new. I also took a break from the computer ... so I need to catch up with my emails this weekend. Sorry if you emailed me and I did not send a quick reply like I usually try to do.

I did have some set backs along the way: the first mink that I started to use I had to throw out (after working with it for 3 days I realized that the entire pelt was way too fragile)



After carefully taking the mink stole apart I tested it by sewing a head ... which shredded when I turned it to stuff it.

I have been taking some time to do some gardening ... not something I can put off ...

 the desert tortoise that has been in our family for decades (and ended up living in my backyard) has come out of hybernation

I'm converting my backyard to raised gardens for my vegetables


so now the tortoise will have his own enclosure
I have to grow grass and flowers for him to have fresh food daily.

So I have been very busy digging up our old lawn to convert to gardens.
Gardening is hard work!


Thursday, April 17, 2014

Tuesday, April 8, 2014

Custom Order ... first 4 (of 8)

I have gotten even further behind in trying to get 
caught up with my long list of Custom Orders ...
this is because I have been spending many hours helping
my sister to search for her beloved dog, Keli
(see post below for update on search)




Thursday, April 3, 2014

Still looking for Keli ...

Thank you to all of my Collector/Friends that have inquired about Keli ... sorry to say that we are still searching ...

My sister and her beloved Keli
at a Dog Show



Keli went missing from home on March 9.
My sister has been relentless in her search for Keli ever since.
Many wonderful people have joined in the search. Some are old friends but many are new friends, fellow dog lovers, who have taken time our of their busy lives to help my sister search for Keli.


My sister has a Facebook page on Keli's search:
www.facebook.com/FindKeli

I help in the search when I can. I have spent many hours with my sister searching and when she is working I have gone out on my own or with my family to follow up leads. I have stories to tell but I don't have the time to tell them now because this morning I need to check our local shelter again (yes, Keli is microchipped but since she is 12 years old the microchip might not read properly ... so I check the shelter every 2 or 3 days). This afternoon I am helping my sister as she sets up wildlife cameras in a abandoned overgrown nursery where Keli could be hiding (with coyotes).

When I have the time I will add tales about our search ...


This is the sign that I made for my car window



April 8, 2014 update:

Sorry to report that we are still looking for Keli. Tomorrow is my sister's day off from work so I've promised her that I would spend the morning helping her in her Keli search.

This has been a relentless search that has included the typical search that includes posters, flyers (offering a reward) and continually checking the 4 local animal shelters in our area ... hours of walking and driving, going to the local animal hospitals, dog parks, local schools, and parks ... checking not just once but multiple times over this past month. My sister has posted on Facebook, Craig's List and a friend even put out an "Amber alert" for her. We follow up every lead of a possible Keli sighting. The not so typical has been enlisting the help of different "Animal Communicators"(some who are surprisingly accurate) and more than one search by my sister's friend with her dog who are both trained in Search and Rescue. My sister has also been blessed by new friends that have contributed many hours  of searching (day and night) and even financial help. Even a former Navy Seal with his dog has helped in the search. I am amazed! I have found that Dog Lovers ... especially those actively involved in different Dog Rescue Organizations have unbelievable compassion and do not hesitate to become actively involved in rescuing an animal.

With the help of many of those mentioned above AND the advice from a professional Animal Tracker" we have narrowed our search closer to home ... a deserted nursery. Unfortunately coyotes reside in that nursery and it is overgrown and rather dangerous. My sister has managed to set up some wildlife cameras in areas where we actually found some of Keli's hair (yes, she definitely WAS in there at one time). Before we can go to the ASPCA to enlist their help in trapping Keli we need photos to prove that she is actually still hiding in the nursery (since it is private property). But just in case Keli is NOT in the nursery we are still handing out flyers, going to local schools, and putting up banners.

Wish us luck ... this is the deserted nursery, it is overgrown wilderness in the suburbs... there are hundreds of hiding places for Keli ... and coyotes. (oh, and before you ask ... the answer is NO ... Keli will not come when called even though she is a highly trained dog. Keli's personality is that she is afraid of people, noise, and other animals ... and it is not unusual that this type of dog would prefer to hide rather to show itself to even it's beloved owner).



Update: April 26,2014
Still no signs of Keli in the nursery on the wildlife cameras ... just coyotes, squirrels, cats and other small wildlife.

I forgot to mention earlier that right after Keli went missing that I put TAGG (GPS system) Pet Tracker on my own two dogs. We found out the hard way that even though Keli was wearing a collar and was microchipped ... if you can't find her those two things are worthless. With the Tagg attached to their collars you always know where your dogs are (on an earth map) ... plus you get a bonus that it also measures each dogs activity level during the day. Yeah, you can see how lazy your dogs really are. Actually I was so embarrassed at their low activity level that I'm trying to take them for more walks or to the dog park more often (so that's good for my exercise level too).

The Taggs are around $100 each and $7 monthly membership ($1 more for each additional dog). After not being able to find Keli this expense is totally worth it to me because I never want to go though this experience again of losing a dog. You can check them out at www.tagg.com or www.taggthepettracker.com

This is what they look like on my dogs: