Having FUN with Fiber ~ Wool Scrap Pug Portrait #3

Happy Friday everyone!

It is me...

R-Chee!

Guess what my mom and I did this past week?

We made another Wool Scrap Pug Portrait from our felted wool sweater scraps, a little bit of yarn, fabric glue and an old placemat! :)

See how to make them too on this post we made for you to easily join in on the FUN. :)

We took some photos to see the process of making our 3rd one already!

They are so FUN & fast to make that you will have a work of art completed from one of your favorite pet photographs or drawings in no time at all!

Mom said that my expressions inspired her to make this one from one of her pug paintings.

Ta Da!

We have one more placemat from this set of 4 that we found at our local thrift shop for only $3 so we will make another one for you to enjoy soon!

What are you up to this weekend?

Please leave us a note and let us know!

We cannot wait to hear all about your plans!

xoxoxo

R-Chee

Pug Notes Newsletter ~ Summer 2014

Happy Thursday everyone!

Yay!

School is officially out for Summer!

To celebrate with you and your families...

R-Chee & I are so excited to let you know that 

The Pug Notes Newsletter ~ Summer 2014 is now online for your reading pleasure!

It is jam packed with fun news, photos, events, recipes, customer photos and more!

The lunch bell is ringing in R-Chee's Test Kitchen!

To celebrate, he shared his recipe for & made you a special batch of his wholesome & delicious Peanut Buttery Treats!

Peanut Butter & Banana Oatmeal Cookies!

Yummy!

WE also have NEW art, acrylic trays & wall clocks for you to enjoy!

This is only a preview of what you will find. :)

The complete Summer 2014 Newsletter is available here for you to enjoy so please click through when you have time.

If you would like a copy of the Newsletter to be emailed to you every quarter, please just email me anytime or sign up in the green outlined box at the top left corner of the blog. :)

I would also love to feature your pugs and recipes in the upcoming newsletters so please send them anytime you want to!

xoxoxox

Melissa & Archie

Mother Bear Sighting in Africa! ~ Love from around the world and back!

Happy Wednesday everyone!

R-Chee & I hope you had a wonderful and relaxing Holiday weekend!

We are so excited to share a Mother Bear sighting in Africa with you today!

One of our 3 Retro Mother Bears appeared in Africa being loved by his new beautiful little person!

It is magical to receive these special photos our bears in their new homes!

It makes our hearts sing to see them with their new families!

R-Chee & I loved making them!

We are so happy he had a safe journey to bring smiles and love around the world and back from our hands to a child's heart and back to our hearts too!

We cannot wait to make more bears for The Mother Bear Project!

You can read all about The Mother Bear Project, its founder, Amy Berman, and all the wonderful ways we can contribute to their charity even if we do not crochet or knit!

xoxoxo

Melissa & Archie

New Pug Drawing & Collage ~ Bw21 ~ Now available for you to enjoy!

Happy Friday everyone!

Archie and I are so excited to show you the NEW Pug drawing and collage we just finished before the holiday weekend!

We now have it available on PugNotes.com for you to enjoy both as note cards and address labels! 

I took lots of photos of it as I made it to show you!

The first thing I did was to sketch Archie in pen & ink while he sat on his bed patiently waiting for me to take him for an afternoon walk.

The next thing I did (after Archie's walk of course :)) was to scan my drawing into the computer and print it in a larger size on card stock to make a collage with it.

Then I brought out some magazines and catalogs and ripped out 3 pages with the colors and textures I was thinking about as good "paint" colors to use to "color in" the pug and bed.

Why only use 3 pages you may ask?  

I have found that I get overwhelmed by too many options.
So to keep the project FUN & flowing along, I just ripped out 3 that I liked.

You can always go back for more if you decide you are missing something. :)

After I chose my pages to use, I ripped them up into little pieces making color piles to pull from.

Using a little paint brush and my Liquitex Matte Gel Medium to glue down the little pieces, I started filling in the color with different textures and tones...

You do not have to sit and finish this project all at once.

Remember to always stop and come back to it later the minute it stops feeling FUN.

It means you need a break and to step away. :)

Remember... life is supposed to be FUN and that means if it stops feeling good... it is time to switch gears and do something else until you feel like coming back to it. :)

Ta Da!

Here is a close up of the PUG!

As I was creating my collage, I thought it would be a neat effect to leave some of the details as illustrated instead of collaging everything.

You can do whatever you like!

It is your creation!

There are no rules to art, FUN or life!

Remember to enjoy the journey and the result will be happiness that flows into the next thing and the next thing and the next thing... you do through out your day!

What do you have planned for Memorial Day weekend?

Please leave us a note and let us know!

We cannot wait to hear all about it!

xoxoxoox

Melissa & Archie

Crochet Stacking Doll ~ 4 Free Patterns from PetalstoPicots.com

Happy Wednesday everyone!

I had so much FUN making this baby doll from a Free Pattern for a set of stacking dolls generously shared by Petals to Picots!

There are 4 sizes to make up the set...

Baby  ~ Small ~ Medium ~ Large

The supply list

You can use any combo of colors and make the set your own creation!

I used bits of scrap yarn from my stash of acrylic yarn and used wool needlepoint yarn and seed beads to embroider the details and hair on her. :)

I just love how she turned out!

I gave this little one to a friend as a surprise and plan to make the whole set!

Please let me know if you make them too!

I would love to see!

What FUN things do you have planned this week?

Please leave me a note and let us know!

We cannot wait to hear all about them!

xoxoxo

Melissa & Archie

Tiny Crochet Turtle Box ~ Free Pattern from Popsdemilk.com

Happy Monday everyone!

I had so much FUN making this wonderful & whimsical tiny turtle box!

I just love how he turned out! 

I could not wait to share him with you and the Free Pattern so you could make one too!

The turtle

The under body bowl

The two fitted together

The tiny pug I made without a pattern to keep snuggly inside.  :)

... and for the final touch... a little dog bed pillow I made for the pug.

Ta Da!

That was FUN!

Please let me know if you make one too!

I would love to see him!

Tune in on Wednesday for another FUN free pattern I found online from Petals to Picots for making 4 Stacking dolls that all fit together!

Make one as a box or all 4 for a whole set!

xoxoxo

Melissa & R-Chee

Friday Funnies ~ Puppy Power!

Happy Friday everyone!

It is me...

R-Chee!

Guess who came over to play with me last weekend?

My 2 best friends!

Teddy & Topper!

Look how fast both of them are growing!

Teddy weighs as much as me already and Topper is not far behind!

Topper might look a bit smaller right now but he was the leader for all of our games!

Teddy tried to pin him while wrestling

but...

Topper had a few smooth moves up his puggy sleeve!

Mom, Auntie Melly and our friend Sara were in tears laughing at the 3 of us play until we all collapsed!

We all slept well that night I tell ya, but I can guarantee none of us missed our dinners!

It is so FUN to play with my two best friends and I cannot wait for them to come back!

I have been practicing my moves all week, and I plan to win at least one match next time!

What are all of you up to this weekend?

Please leave me a note and let me know!

I cannot wait to hear all about it!

xoxoxo

R-Chee

Fred's Photography Adventure to Vienna & Prague ~ April 2014

Happy Monday everyone!

I am so excited to show you Fred's new traveling photographic adventure!

In April, he went to Vienna and Prague in with famed photographer, Joe McNally, along with several other students.

Here he is capturing the perfect shot on a cold evening outing in Prauge with Joe McNally's wife, Annie.

I smiled from ear to ear when he emailed me this photo that night as although I could not tag along on his trek, I was there on the bridge as I made him the warm hat he is wearing! :)

Here are some of his photos of his trip for you to enjoy!

... and here are some shots that his fellow trekkers took of them enjoying their adventure together!

What a magical week he had and captured for us all to go along with him too!

I cannot wait to see what trip he plans for next year to take us all on!

What FUN thing are you up to today?

Please leave us a note and let us know!

We cannot wait to hear all about them!

xoxoxoox

Melissa & Archie