Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween everyone!

A family tradition much to Emmitt's dismay is to dress the puggy up every year. Here is a collage of just a few of my favorites.

You can see a few more of his costumes over the years on Emmitt's photo page.

Each year, the children in the neighborhood come by not just for the candy, but to see what Emmitt is dressed up as. He always greets them with hugs, kisses and lots of singing and yodeling.

This year, Melanie's Corgi, Moe and Emmitt are very dapper in their collars and ties made by the very talented Joan and Skippy the pug of Linden Line Designs.

Look how handsome!

Here is what Emmitt has secretly planned for the evening! He hopes to get lots of pretzles at the game!

What did your creatures (2 and 4 footed :)) go as this Halloween? Please leave us a comment and let us know!

Have a fun and safe evening!

Piano Hinge Journal - Week 5

I just loved making this journal! It is a piano hinge structure. I used pencils to bind it.

I stamped each inside page with one of my handcarved stamps and decorated the front and back with travel stamp themed paper and small prints of some of my pug paintings.

I love how the book opens and how each stamp is showcased.

The inside paper is from a pad of writing paper that I bought at Warwick's when I was in La Jolla this summer. It is always fun to use things from trips and it worked perfectly with the theme of this book.

Our new class starts on Friday so I will have another journal to show you again next week!

Here is a recap of all the journals I made in Sue's class this month...

• Week 1 - Trifold and House
• Week 2 - Coptic Binding
• Week 3 - Accordian
• Week 4 - Pockets
• Week 5 - Piano Hinge (above)

Which one is your favorite? Please leave a comment and let me know! :)

Rhodesian Ridgeback

Rhodesian Ridgeback

Meet my Rhodesian Ridgeback, the newest addition to my Dog Art Family on Pug Notes and Dog Art Studio.

He is available on all of my products where you can choose an image.

I really enjoyed painting him. Trying to capture each dog's expression brings me so much joy.

What do you think of him? Leave me comment and let me know! :)

New Pug Art ...

I am so excited to share the new pug art I have acquired for my art collection over the last few weeks.

The first wonderful creation is Pugsly created by the genius doll maker, Nichol Brinkman, of Pink Cheeks!

Some of you may remember Clarence and Flannery, my first two dolls. Well now my family has Pugsly in it too. Notice how I did not say the family was complete? This is because I will never stop collecting her dolls. :)

My second wonderful piece to show you is a framed pug collage from artist, Boutikihut on Etsy.

Isn't it wonderful?! I love all of the creative ways people capture the image of the pug.

and last but not least, my wonderful and talented friend Diana Evans, creates these wonderful wood pendants, and she made me a pug! Notice the cupcake around his neck and all of the hearts? She captured my Emmitt's spirit perfectly! Please visit her blog and Etsy shop to see more of her wonderful art.

I look at each one of these pugs everyday in my office and feel joy and inspiration from them.

Life is Art...Art is life!

Tunnel Books!

Melanie and I had the best time making Tunnel Books on Saturday!

They are 3D books that have cut outs on every level to unfold different images and to tell a story with or without text.

Here is my completed book. As you look through, you can see Emmitt, Fred and me in the beautiful Fall Colorado scenery.

Top view of my book.



Melanie's book showing her ride her mountain bike through the beautiful Colorado terrain.

Top view of Melanie's book.

Here we are cutting and pasting. :)

We cut out all of the paper frames and made accordian folded sides. Then we cut out photocopied photographs of scenery and our subjects to be put in the foreground. We layed out where to glue the scenes into the frames so you could see them as you looked through the frames. Then we got out our glue sticks and glued it all together and voila! Tunnel Books!

What a fun afternoon. I know Melanie and I will be making more of these!

Happy Monday Everyone!

Bread by Fred!

My husband, Fred, makes the best bread in the whole world!

Here are some kaiser rolls and pita bread that he made the other day.





Can you smell the bread baking? Yummy!

He makes them from using starter instead of yeast. It is so much fun to watch him bake and cook because he has so much fun doing it.

He makes a weekly batch for us and a batch for Mark and Melanie.

Bread by Fred... the best in the whole world!

Melanie's Fabric Journal - Week 4

Here is Melanie's week 4 Fabric Journal with pockets. I just love the fabrics she used!

The construction of this journal is so fun because it is a trifold and the back part of the fabric cover folds over the 3 books or signatures to form a front binder with pockets. Mel used a snap as a closure and I just love how it turned out.

Today, we are in a book binding class in the next town over learning how to make tunnel books. I cannot wait to see what we make so I can share it with you.

Have a great day!

Journal with pockets and a Tiny Bear!

Happy Friday everyone!

Here is my journal for week 4. I had so much fun making it and I love the fabrics I got to work with.

It is a trifold structure, with green fabric corner pockets and 3 booklets of paper inside.

I used a snap closure, but sewed a button on the front for decoration.

Next week is our last week of this session of Sue B.'s class and then the next one begins.

Here is her blog, website and class schedule. She is an amazing artist and excellent teacher.

Look at this wonderful, fully jointed mini mohair bear Melanie made for me!

She used a pattern I purchased from PengPeng and surprised me with her yesterday!

I have named her Persimmon and call her Per for short.

Isn't she cute!

Melanie and I are taking another book binding class this weekend so I will have more pictures of a new structure called a Tunnel Book next week!

Have a great weekend everyone! What do you have planned? Please leave a comment and let me know!