If I had my way, I’d be at the beach

Posted February 4th, 2010 by Emily Rose

Dreams: That thing that drives me to wake up every morning, but makes me cry myself to sleep at night. Such a blessing and a curse.”

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I’d give anything to have been out running barefoot on the sand this week. This week wasn’t all terrible, but the weather has made it less than pleasurable. We had a sun-break, and it was as though a splash of life landed in the valley after a long pause. Hopefully the sun shows again today! I owe kidlet a nice long walk in nature, no cement, just nature. Maybe we’ll go up to the mountains, or hike along a stream. Anything to get out, and enjoy any sunshine that is willing to peek between the rain clouds!

This week will be better, easier to tolerate, and hopefully sunnier! I keep reminding myself that it’s almost spring, and then after spring, comes the summer. Living in the rainy NW, I seem to live for those dry days, as they really do make the gloom worth it to tolerate. I’m crossing fingers for a good week, even if I have to sit under a UV lamp all week, and make up crap to be happy about ;) heehee

Six Words

Posted January 29th, 2010 by Emily Rose

I got to see Patricia McConnell in Corvallis, Oregon last year during her canine behavior seminar and left in tears… I think we all did. She is a brilliant, charismatic lady, and one of the best speakers I’ve ever listened to. For the closing of her seminar, she reflected on the important dogs in our lives or as she called them, “forever dogs”. For hours she had a whole auditorium begging for more of her wisdom, and insight. It was amazing… well amazing for a dog-geek like me *G*

A few days ago she lost her beloved Lassie, and challenged all of us to choose 6 words as a story to describe our dogs, as Hemmingway had in his short story “For Sale. Baby Shoes. Never Worn.”. Here’s mine to describe the wonderful dogs who I’ve owned.

Robbie: Floppy dog. Long ears. Soulful gaze.
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Traum: Big dream. Golden Stripes. Best Friend.
Almost 7...

Cove: Silly grin. Mischievous smile. Trouble again.
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Galaxy: Princess high. Ears to the sky.
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Kiwi: Summer day. Water spray. Happy Play.
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Sparkles: Happiest puppy. Kisses and pounces daily.
52 Weeks for Dogs 1/52

LOST dog! Junction City, Oregon

Posted January 27th, 2010 by Emily Rose

Please x-post, and spread the word. They believe this little guy slipped out of the door when friends of the kids left.

1bucky1
Missing since 1-24-10
Small (3-4 lbs) light colored (Cream) male Chihuahua
Wearing a blue collar.

1bucky
His family is heart broken
REWARD For Return

Junction City
Ph# 541-285-8421
e-mail: G5Mrn at aol dot com

We own the single most tolerant puppy in the universe…

Posted January 26th, 2010 by Emily Rose

For Sparkles 4/52 photo, Spark’s ‘other Mommy’ suggested I try a bubble bath. Being the terrible person I am, I ran strait to the bathroom and started up the water! Unbelievably, Spark was her usual trooper self. There was not one complaint about the tub, bubbles, or the ducky!
52 Weeks for Dogs 4/52

I forgot to post this one on the blog last week since I was short on online time. This one was the 3/52 photo, of Spark and Dea in front of Oregon’s capitol building in Salem. Each of them were wearing their ladybug hats *G*
52 Weeks for Dogs 3/52

A late post- christmas presents for Dea and I

Posted January 21st, 2010 by Emily Rose

I meant to post these around Christmas time but forgot! I’d been eyeing NanjoDogz work for a while, and when I saw her ladybugs with dogs I could not resist! I decided to get myself a Traum pendant, and Dea a Spark pendant, and a ladybug bracelet charm. I gave Dea hers for Christmas, and she plans on wearing it in the ring for her next match with Sparkles. She loves wearing it so much!

Pendant photos by Nancy, taken from her blog.
Custom Sparkles pendant by NanjoDogz

Custom Traum pendant by NanjoDogz

Not only do I make dog jewelry, but I’m also an avid collector (Esp of Cardi pieces) so am always adding new pieces to my collection. These ones did not disappoint! I love them so much, and have even ’stolen’ Dea’s Spark pendant to wear myself a few times ;) Nancy is wonderful to work with, and of course does custom orders.

You can visit her website, or her etsy shop to see more of her adorable, and amazing work.

Frankie the Thai Ridgeback

Posted January 18th, 2010 by Emily Rose

When I was 10 or 11 living in NW Washington state I met an interesting dog. A very rare breed, one of the only of it’s breed in the US at the time, a direct import from Thailand. The owner was absolutely shocked when I knew what the dog was, as no one before had ever come close to guessing. I have always been a ‘dog geek’, pouring into every dog book, and researching every dog breed. The Thai Ridgeback has been one that’s stood out to me as interesting, and unique. Since then I’ve wanted to meet another/more, and when a friend at Pacific Northwest Pit Bull Rescue took in a foster Thai Ridgeback, I just HAD to meet, and photograph him! Thai Ridgebacks have been on my list of “must photograph” breeds. One of my goals for the new year was to pull together the confidence to go down my wishlist of ‘dogs I want to take pictures of’, and what an awesome start!
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Frankie doesn’t have a full ridge, it’s split, and crooked. Very unique, and adorable! There’s a lot of variety in how the ridges on these dogs look, including ridgeless!
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We’d been trying to schedule this shoot for a couple weeks, but it’s been rainy, and unpredictable. Tori lives almost 2 hours from me, so making a trip when there’s an instant weather break is risky. Yesterday this shoot was perfect though! Perfect lighting, and while it was drizzling, we had nice tree cover at the park we met at, and the trees kept all the rain at bay. We visited, and talked for at least an hour, talking dogs, and I really got to know Frankie. I’m so glad the rain held off- a few hours later we had a storm, with 40 +mph gusts of wind!
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Frankie waiting patiently for some jerky
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Mmmm, yummy jerky!
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Thai Ridgebacks are a very primitive-style breed. Free-thinking, and very cat-like in disposition. Their mannerisms remind me of the Basenji, including movement. One interesting thing is the dimples on their whisker pads are larger, and more defined than other dogs. I’m sure they use their whiskers for sensory needs more than most dog breeds. Thai Ridgebacks are still one of the rarest breeds in the world, with only about 50 thousand estimated world-wide. Only about 100 are believed to be in the US. Most Thai Ridgebacks in the US are direct imports from Thailand. Frankie was born in the US.
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I’m absolutely smitten with his tail. It’s so cute, and unique! Almost reminds me of a Shar Pei tail, but not quite. Some Thai Ridgebacks (Including the one I saw when I was younger) have heavy wrinkles on their tail, and face, more like a Shar Pei. The breeds do share similar roots. Most Thai Ridgebacks have a scentgland on their tails. Frankie’s is visible. So interesting! We think he may even have one on the top of his head too, but are not sure.
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Lots more photos! Read more »

“Rainy Days” 52 Weeks for Dogs 2/52

Posted January 16th, 2010 by Emily Rose

It’s been gloomy, and rainy this week. This is freshly-bathed Sparkles, sulking on the couch, bummed that I won’t let her clean self get all muddy!
"Rainy Days" 52 Weeks for Dogs 2/52

For my 52 Weeks for Dogs project.

How I survive through my classes (WIP sketches)

Posted January 15th, 2010 by Emily Rose

I don’t claim to be a sketch artist, but I use sketches to relieve boredom, and to come up with new sculpted work concepts. Since I thrive on multi-tasking, drawing during lectures helps prevent me from falling asleep, or bouncing off walls and going nuts. This is esp true in my writing course, where I’d *MUCH* rather write, than talk about writing! LOL

Conflicts of interest of course, these rivalry school designs are a WIP concept of mine. I’ve gotten requests for these at different local events I’ve vended at by people who wanted cute, whimsical ways to show off their favorite team. Since it’s required of me though, I just have to say “Go Beavs!” ;) These will be pin, pendant/ornament combo pieces so a person could wear them as pins, or pendants, or display them. Still not in clay form yet, and the designs may be edited as I get them sculpted out and see how they actually look. We may be Beavers, but we’re close to UofO, and the Ducks are also popular up here. Oh well, some decent people are ducks fans ;0P
How I survive my classes....

This one will someday be the body of a ‘frogging’ Bull Terrier design, like these Cardigans.
How I survive my classes....Corgi pendants

This is a (bad!) concept sketch of a Vallhund for a pin idea I have. It’s not true to conformation, and I still haven’t figured out how the heck I want to paint their agouti/sable coloration, but I thought that Vallhunds in viking caps would be awesome! This design is likely a ways away, because I’ve been slacking a long time on those sabley Vallhunds. Someday I’ll figure out how I want to paint them though!
How I survive my classes....

In the fiction lit class I’m taking we read Jack London’s “To Build a Fire” so I drew what I thought the Wolf-dog might look like. No worries, I have no plans of quitting my day job to be a sketch artist, and will stick with what I do best! LOL
How I survive my classes....

It’s almost 2am, I can’t sleep, but am incredibly thankful my fridays are class-free! How my schedule was arranged for no classes on fridays I’ll never know, but it’s so nice. Now if only weather would cooperate, so I could get some photo shoots in! Lately it’s been rain, rain, and rain, with the only sunblocks being either on my way to school, or while I’m in classes. Of course, the rain pours again if I have to walk in the elements to another class!

The reason it’s so hard to get Traum pics…

Posted January 14th, 2010 by Emily Rose

This is my ‘glue’ dog, always by my side, never wanting to leave my sight. THIS look, is what happens when I tell him ’stay’.
The reason it's so hard to get Traum pics...

Now, he knows stay, and back in the day, was very, very good at stay… but he seems to be pretty sure that my act of telling him to stay away from me, is me trying to tear his little Corgi heart out, and stomp it to the ground ;) And yes, this WAS using treats as a bribe! What can I say, I wanted a mama’s boy, and lookie what I got! LOL

Someone her own size…

Posted January 14th, 2010 by Emily Rose

Galaxy is a playful girl, and the poor thing just doesn’t have a playmate here that’s a fair match to her. Cove is a big klutz so often tramples over her causing fun to end (She’s a bit of a drama-queen diva…), and this winter has had worse arthritis than normal (Cove loves to blow the “mutts are healthier than purebred” myth out of the water ;), Traum is the grumpy-old-man, who has never been big on playing (He’s the ‘fun police’ of the household), and Sparkles while a tough little shit, isn’t nearly as durable as Galaxy, being less than 1/3 Galaxy’s size! A lot of their playtime is Galaxy playing as though she’s playing with a 6 week old Corgi puppy, where she’s letting Spark win, or testing how far she can go before getting the “that hurts” squeal, then starting back at square one. (We call Spark ’squeaky toy’ because of her trademark squeak)

This week while doing the Striker photos, Galaxy and Striker had some playtime during the photo break. Even though Galaxy isn’t in season, Striker has recently had some girlfriends, and thinks that the ladies are the greatest thing in the universe so is quite the Mr. Flirt, and a ladies man. They had fun, and Galaxy think she should have playtime with her ‘just like me’ friend more often!
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