Funny Ernie's Dog House

Dear Anonymous

2009-10-29T19:55:00.000-07:00

In reference to your comments on my right to life post: You are entitled to your opinions, however:

God does not kill children, humans do.

If your birth control fails its still a miracle that you conceived the very same night your BC failed. Pregnancy is not a coincidence or a right but a gift and a miracle. Ask any woman who can not have children or has trouble conceiving - its amazing babies are born healthy at all.

If you aren't willing to accept the possibilities of the outcome of intercourse keep your legs closed. Sex was not created or intended for your selfish pleasure but for procreation - the creation of a child. Sex only "feels good" because if it didn't you wouldn't do it and, thus, no procreation.

If a fetus "is not a concious being" at what point does it become one? When it is tangible and you have feelings for it? When it's heart beats? When it can relieve itself? When it has hair? That all happens far sooner than you might believe.

After only 6 years....

2009-02-13T14:44:00.000-08:00

After only six years I've completed this dress. I originally started it to wear to my cousin's wedding. I picked up the fabric at a little store in Austria while visiting my dad. I think it was a store that caters to Indian and Muslim women's fashions. I'm surprised that it even fits me after six years and a baby. It's a little snugger than I'd like but it's wearable.

The pattern is #6586 from Butterick. It was a super simple pattern so I am off to make another dress with more fabric that's been sitting around my office for far too long.

Yay for Spring!

My newest book.....

2009-02-13T14:37:00.000-08:00

Through Craftster.com I found a new (or new to me) way to sew up a handbound book. It's called Swedish Binding. Here is my completed handsewn book.

For the covers I used an old pillowcase and the inside is covered with some scrap swiss dot fabric. I had much better luck with the glue this time.

The book is large, about 9x11, but it is going to be my "possibilities" book so I needed it to be large.

The book is sewn together with orange embroidery floss.

I made some mistakes with this book so it's good I was only planning on using it for myself. But, now I know how to do this technique so I'll be trying it again (and getting it right) for a new book soon!

Valentine Giveaway Winner

2009-02-03T11:17:00.000-08:00

Using the List Randomizer from Random.org I have a winner for my Valentines.......Princess Golden Hair, Congratulations!

Thank you to all who entered.

Happy Valentines Day!

Stop the Freedom of Choice Act

2009-01-29T15:39:00.001-08:00

To sign a petition to stop the Freedom of Choice Act click here.

"The human embryonic heart begins beating approximately 21 days after conception, or five weeks after the last normal menstrual period (LMP), which is the date normally used to date pregnancy." Wikipedia

"The Bible teaches that the child in the womb is truly a human child, who even has a relationship with the Lord" courtesy of Priests for Life.org

As young as 7 weeks you can see your baby on an ultrasound and you can see the little heart beat. At just 10 weeks your baby has it's major organs and fingernails are beginning to grow.

Don't punish your baby for the mistakes YOU'VE made.

Vintage Inspired Funky Floral Jumper - Size 3

2009-01-27T10:56:00.000-08:00

My latest completed project. I figure if it doesn't sell I'll save it for Ada (but if it does, no biggie! I certainly don't need to be storing clothes for three years!)

I made this using a vintage pattern (my mom used to make this dress for me) and a great Robert Kaufman print. To see the 1000Markets listing click here.

Need a great but cheap picture mat?

2009-01-24T19:29:00.000-08:00

I have a GREAT tip for anyone who hates to pay for mat boards and they don't know how to cut mats:

I had my daughter's pictures done at a major dept. store and they wanted 30 bucks for a collage picture and another 20 for an ugly frame (on sale!) so I figured I'd just do it myself. When I went to find a collage frame and mat board the over-the-counter frames and mats didn't fit the size of the dept. store pictures (how convenient). But, I found my way around that!

Buy a sheet of art paper and cut out areas for the pictures. It looks just like a mat and it cost a heck of a lot less than a custom mat! $2.49 instead of $22.00! I bought an 11x14 frame from Micheal's for around $9.00 (55% off) so that's a huge savings! (I'd do the math for you but I suck at math :)

And the bonus? There was some left over room on the "mat" for a little scrap booking detail that reads: Ada 6 months (you know, to distinguish these pics from ALL the other pics around the house)

I can not take all the credit for this grand idea, however. The nice employee behind the Micheal's custom framing counter gave me the idea. Naughty her for saving me so much money!

My newest books.....

2009-01-22T10:08:00.000-08:00

I was feeling burned out from the internet yesterday so instead I was productive! Imagine that!

I made three books using a different technique than the last book. This technique is much faster and I like the way these turned out. They are awful cute I think.

Each book uses pages from a 2005 Children's Book calendar.

The first book has a wrap around cover and a tab closure on the back. The cover is made from Martha Stewart peach cardstock. There is a picture on the front from the book A Baby Sister for Francis. On the inside I made a "second" cover from the calendar page of A Baby Sister for Francis. The text pages are made from standard copy paper - white and smooth. To see the listing and more pictures click here.

The second book is a simple little folded book with Good Night Moon for the cover. The text pages are made from resume paper so it has a little bit of grit to it. I used blue embroidery thread to sew this one up. Click here to see the listing and more pics.

The third book I did a little differently. I used the calendar page from the book Fireboat - isn't it a pretty cover? The text pages are made with the resume paper and I sewed up the spine with two colors of embroidery thread and then knotted them together to wrap around the book. The ends are secured closed with a vintage orange button. I had leftover paper from the cover and it's so pretty that I couldn't just throw it out so I made a matching matchbook to go with it. Click here to see more pics and the listing.

I had fun making these and I will surely make some more. I still have several pages left from that cute calendar.

Random question of the day

2009-01-19T10:36:00.000-08:00

Here's your Random Question of the Day:

Are you ready for Summer or are you still enjoying Winter?

My answer: I'm in between. Today it is freakin' cold BUT it's sunny so I'm happy. If it was raining non stop like it usually does I'd be ready for Summer but it hasn't rained much this winter it seems. I am ready to be able to get out of the house, go for walks and start on my veggie garden, though!

Poor little Spider

2009-01-18T17:00:00.000-08:00

It was so cold yesterday morning - my car said 29'! I was leaving to go visit my family and I had the baby in the car all ready to go. I started scraping at the windshield and the frost would not scrape off! So, I had to go back inside to get some water to melt the ice (there is no way I was going to freeze in my car waiting for the heater to melt the windows). On my way back to the front door I noticed this.....

Neato, huh? Poor little spider.

Book Binding

2009-01-18T12:00:00.000-08:00

I've been trying out the craft of bookbinding but I got stuck on the sewing part. So my ever patient sister-in-law made this little diagram for me. I thought I'd post it here incase anyone else is having the same brain-fart issues I am. Thanks Theresa!

Ta-Da! It's finally finished!

2009-01-18T10:50:00.000-08:00

My latest project, a Craftster.com challenge, is complete (as of Friday). It was pretty time consuming, cutting out all the paper. And it took me, I think, 7 tries to figure out how to sew the binding up (even with the diagram Theresa drew up for me). But, I completed it and I can now say that I am in love with bookbinding.

For my first book binding project I think it turned out not too bad. I had some issues with the glues so I'll have to ask around about that. But all in all not too bad. The best part is that I didn't have to spend a dime to make this. I used found objects from around my house and craft room for the materials.

The front cover of the book was made from old plastic bags that I melted into a sheet (see previous blog posts for pictures of the project in action). The plastic was mounted onto card stock and then I stitched around the edges with a decorative stitch using orange thread.

The inside cover was lined with a map of the United States, which I found in a travel brochure. The inside pages were made from brown paper lunch bags and an old scrapbook I was no longer using (and looking to get rid of). The pages alternate between paper bag and scrapbook page. Each paper bag page has a picture of a random place around the world (found from travel junk mail and magazines). The last paper bag page in each signature is for any other notes about your travels and has a saying cut from old magazines, ie: survival guide, It's a small world, dear diary and Walk On!.

There are 8 pages in each signature, 4 paper bag and 4 scrapbook, with a total of 32 pages.

The back cover is made from dark brown card stock. The book is sewn together using linen thread with the sewing technique Theresa taught me (we can't remember the name of it).

I like the way it turned out, for my first book. I'm already thinking of new books to make! Now if only we could travel so I could use it. I guess it could be my "reminiscing travel" book!

Yet another Valentine

2009-01-16T10:31:00.001-08:00

I was working on some mini valentine's for my samples to send to Pets Jubilee and came up with a new form of Valentine. I used one of my favorite Valentine images but created a new format for the card.

I think it's kinda cute!

Valentine Giveaway!

2009-01-15T11:17:00.000-08:00

Enter to win a set of my Love Doggy Valentine's!

To be entered please visit any of my shops: 1000markets, Etsy, ArtFire, ShopHandmade or HyenaCart and tell me which site you like best OR comment on any item in my shops. Post your comment(s) here under the Blog Giveaway Post and you're entered! You can post as many times as you'd like but each post must be a new, different and/or unique comment.

Random drawing will be held on Feburary 1st. Winner will be announced on my blog. Winner will be contacted via comment page so be sure your email is easily located from your blog page (or leave your email in the comment section).

Blogging Question

2009-01-14T11:15:00.000-08:00

I would like to personalize my blog page. Does anyone know of a good site to get backgrounds for FREE for my blog? Anytime I've searched it's only pulled up Myspace pages and I don't want all that junk on my page.

Thanks!

Random question of the day

2009-01-14T11:02:00.000-08:00

This is a political question so if you don't like politics - don't read any further!

The inauguration in coming up so I thought I'd pose this question:

Do you think the new president, Barack Obama, will be able to accomplish all that he's said he will?

What I think: As we are all aware, politicians have A LOT to say about what they will do but then somehow those things never seem to come full circle. Obama seems to have a lot of ideas but I really wonder how much of it can truly be accomplished in four years, let alone one week (ie: all the media hype about all the bills he's going to sign next week).

Featured Artist of the Day

2009-01-12T13:00:00.000-08:00

I found a new shop this morning that I think is just too cute so I wanted to share. Her shop is called SecretMe and she is from South Yorkshire, UK.

I came across her shop when she posted this beautiful fabric

so I started looking around in her shop and found this SO cute little book

(which I love) and this little Basset Hound journal is really cute too!

And I came across this hounds tooth wristlet with removable flower broach

SecretMe has great SALE prices right now too so click on the link above and visit her shop (and buy stuff so I don't have to :)

Random question of the day

2009-01-12T09:00:00.000-08:00

Here is your question of the day:

What biblical passage inspires you?

I wish I could tell you but I have no idea which passage it is. I saw it in the Christian Bookstore, made note to myself to remember it and poof! it was gone from my brain. Someday I'll find it again. (Apparently it's quite a common passage)

Melting Plastic Bags

2009-01-11T13:01:00.000-08:00

I came across a crafting challenge yesterday on Craftster.com. The challenge, here, inspired me with a few ideas, one of which calls for using old plastic bags.

I've heard about melting plastic bags down into a solid sheet that you can use for....whatever...but I'd never tried it before.

So, my sister-in-law, Theresa, came over yesterday and we tried it out. After a couple of misfit sheets we figured out the trick that worked for us: iron setting at 3.5-4, vigorous rubbing of the iron onto the paper and pressing down for added weight. We also found that using the thicker plastic worked better even though other websites say the thinner stuff works better. The thin stuff bubbled and wrinkled a lot on us.

We had some cool bags to work with and some not so cool. Old Navy, Sprint, Gymboree, Catherine's and Disney yielded some neato designs. We also had a lot of Safeway and BiMart bags which weren't very "ooh, la, la" but they did the trick.

Here are some pics of our little adventure.

Some completed versions:

Dad was on baby duty so they came out to watch the show.

There wasn't much of a "show" so after some bundling up Ada became our little helper.

I'll be posting my finished project here on my blog so be sure to check back to see what I came up with!

Good Luck to all who join in the fun, too!

OHS Shelter "Dog" of the Week

2009-01-11T13:00:00.000-08:00

Ok, so she's not really a dog but a great pet nonetheless. She's been at OHS since 1/23/2008 - that's almost a year! Doesn't it make your heart cry? Poor little bunny - all alone and feeling unloved. :(

If you are interested in adopting Nutmeg you can find her bio 56760.

Help Nutmeg find a new home!

Random question of the day

2009-01-11T09:00:00.000-08:00

What is your new favorite Handmade item or craft?

I just found this one on 1000Markets - gLove Story Dolls from Copocabana. What a fun idea and great for the environment too. You should read the blog post - hilarious!

Random question of the day

2009-01-10T13:00:00.000-08:00

Ok, I was laying in bed last night waiting for the baby to wake up (why go to sleep? my brain says) but, of course, now I can't think of my questions. Hmmmmmm.......

What is your favorite Arts and Crafts site? It could be Etsy, ShopHandmade, 1000Markets or an info site like Craftster, CraftJuice, etc.

For shopping I like 1000Markets. Even though it's small it's so clean and fresh. I really need to spend more time digging around on that site.

For info sites I like CraftJuice but haven't been playing around much with info sites. I've been working on FunnyErnie too much.

"New" to me Website

2009-01-10T09:00:00.000-08:00

Have you ever heard of CraftJuice? I hadn't until an Etsy friend told me about it. It's kind of fun!

I guess the idea is to vote on your favorite listings. The more votes a listing has the higher up the rank it goes. On the one hand I feel bad for those that don't get votes but on the other how fun it would be if MY product made it to the front page, right?

(I'm one of those people that votes for the loser so they don't feel bad. Hee Hee)

Random question of the day

2009-01-09T13:00:00.000-08:00

Here is your Random Question of the Day......

What is your favorite brand of pen? I mean, like a writing pen, or any pen I guess. I have a fetish for school supplies and was thinking about how I wished I had more of my favorite pens around and tha I should treat myself to some new ones.

My favorite brand is by PaperMate. Those really simple blue or black ink 'el cheapo pens. I love those.

Joker Valentine

2009-01-06T14:22:00.001-08:00

Here is my latest Valentine. I think he looks like the Joker. Do you love him or hate him?

To purchase him visit my Etsy site here.

Etsy Woes

2009-01-06T13:08:00.001-08:00

Etsy is a great site for artisans, however, my Etsy experience has been a bit lack-luster as of late. I've had great sales but sellers and buyers have been a bit withholding in their abilities to effectively and professionaly communicate their thoughts, needs and desires. Even Etsy Admin has been lacking in their ability to effectivly communicate with their patrons.

Is Etsy getting too big for their own shoes? I'm beginning to wonder so.

I am seriously considering leaving the Etsy world for new adventures. There are many a great artisan sites available now - Etsy has some exciting competition. Granted, these sites are still up and coming and do not have the traffic flow that Etsy has, however, this could be a good thing. Etsy has a large traffic flow but with that comes the issues I touched on above (without going into detail).

These issues, I believe, are not just with Etsians but a large problem with the world as a whole. With the advent of the Internet we seem to have lost touch with our personable side. Now that we can express our thoughts without repercussion we go on ahead and say what we please without thought or consideration as to how one may be perceived, how one's words may affect others and how one's emotions play across the lines of the internet.

We are all one in this world, struggling along the same as the next. Regardless of what method of communication you choose to use don't you think you should still treat others as you would wish to be treated? This philosophy seems to have gone out the window (or computer screen in this matter).

Are you feeling the Etsy grudge, too? Check out these alternative Etsy sites and feel the love!

ArtFire
1000Markets
HyenaCart
CafePress

Will You Be My Valentine? Valentine

2009-01-03T21:36:00.000-08:00

Here is my latest Valentine listing. I just finished him today. I think he's cute. My hubby think's he looks like the Excorsist. Hey, the dog never said he was perfect - when your drawn by hand your never perfect, right? I still think he's cute even if his head does spin all the way around. What do you think?

I Heart You!

2009-01-02T13:03:00.000-08:00

I've gotten a chance to work on some new Holiday items and here are the few I've completed so far.

For this holiday's cards I've chosen to work with fabric. The completed artworks so far use the actual fabric after it's been starched and glued onto the paper. The other method I'm trying out is using BloPens over lace to create an image. I've had these BloPens for years so I am so glad to be able to use them now.

The first one I call "You're in my Heart". I think he's so cute! I've done these as ACEO's so far with a Chocolate Lab and a Yellow Lab. I'll be printing these for traditional Valentine's soon. You can see the listing here for the Red Heart and the Floral Heart.

This one I call "Smooches". I love how in-your-face he is. He was done with starched fabric and acylic paint. He's just an ACEO right now but he will soon be a traditional Valentine as well.

Ada's first Visit with Santa Clause

2008-12-21T12:15:00.001-08:00

Here is our little angel with Santa! He is a great looking Santa, isn't he? (He'd better be for how much we had to pay for a picture, geesh!)

She didn't even cry. We thought she would for sure. She just looks shell shocked. She did smile though - after the camera flashed!

And as an added bonus here is a picture of Ada and Daddy looking for a Christmas Tree.

The Grotto, Portland Oregon

2008-12-21T11:50:00.000-08:00

It was our 4 year anniversary this last Friday so we ditched the kid with Grandma and Grandpa and went out on our own little adventure! Well, not really an adventure but new for us!

First we went to dinner at Gustav's, a German restaurant in Clackamas, Oregon. They have great beer and Swiss Cheese fondue. Yum! We got lucky. Because of the yucky weather everyone stayed home so there was no waiting for a table.

After dinner we went up to the Grotto on Sandy Blvd. We got there a little early so we waited outside in the freezing weather. We were too lazy to walk back to the car. Luckily it wasn't raining or windy, just cold. Usually there are 5 choral performances at the Grotto everyday but due to the weather the choirs cancelled so we didn't get to see a show. Instead we wandered the grounds and looked at all the lights and listened to the recorded stories.

I'd never been to the Grotto before though I should have been long ago. I was raised Catholic so I'm not sure why I never went. It's a beautiful park area with lots of trees and landscaping.
There is a huge rock cliff with a cave carved out of it.

The chapel was dressed up with pretty lights and an organist was playing inside where it was warm and toasty. In the summer's they hold Mass outside in the courtyard. How fun would that be?! They even had a petting zoo with 3 little warm rabbits, many goats, a lama, a donkey and a miniature horse. As soon as I bought the cone of grain to feed the animals the goats were right up with me, even jumping up on me. The lama said "feed me, feed me, feed me, Dont pet me!, feed me...." They were awful cute though! Too bad I didn't take pictures, huh?

We wandered through the grounds until we found our way to the coffee shop to warm up a bit.

After leaving the Grotto we stopped at Home Depot to look at formica chips (romantic, isn't it?) and then at Coldstone for some yummy ice cream (my favorite).

Then it was back home to the baby and our daily lives. Hey, atleast we got out for one day, right?

New! Mod Mom Shops

2008-12-20T16:22:00.001-08:00

I found this great new website through Etsy that I wanted to tell you all about. It's called Mod Mom Shops and it's all about shops, blogs and products that mom's need (or just want). There is a plethura of information here! Great shops and fun blogs. Go check them out! http://www.ModMomShops.com

Fabulous internet if you live in Molalla, OR

2008-12-16T10:42:00.001-08:00

We live out in the sticks - Molalla, Oregon. And we have only one option for our phone, internet and cable. That would be from Molalla Communications. However, MC is not a company with their patrons best interests at heart. Their best interest is their bottom line and they have terrible communication skills to boot. I have been searching for an alternative provider to no avail but, alas, I have found one.

I went searching for a new cell phone this month as my current plan is expiringand thought I'd look into the whole cellular internet movement, hoping it would yield as an option.

I started with AT&T and found they offer an air card, cell phone with internet or tethering to your computer through your cell phone. I never knew I had so many options! Turns out Sprint offers all these plans too. Verizon and T-Mobile offer some, but not all, of these options.

I decided to go with the tethering option which is offered by all of these cellular companies. I am currently with Sprint so I first looked into their plans. They offer a tethering plan with 450 talking minutes, unlimited data and unlimited texting all for the low price of $69.99 a month. I would have to buy a PDA phone to accomodate this plan which would run me $80.00 and up, out of pocket.

After reviewing the other cellular companies Sprint turned out to be the best option for me. I got my new phone for $100.00 after rebate (a fancy new Blackberry Curve in red) and I had instant internet! Whoo-hoo! This is very cool.

After a little downloading for the program I was able to un-hook my Molalla Communications line and run solely off of my cell phone. Turns out my cellular connection is faster than Molalla Communications. With my new plan I am saving at least $35.00 a month on phone/internet, I'm working with a company that has great customer service skills and I get to boycott Molalla Communications. What better way to celebrate the holidays!

To all of the Molalla area residents who wish to boycott Molalla Communications check out Sprint and their many cellular internet options!

I've been featured in an Etsy Treasury

2008-12-15T09:44:00.000-08:00

Here is the link to the treasury Etsy Treasury. It expires on Wednesday so be sure to check it out before then!

The treasury was created by simplysuzula. Check out her shop too!

Up Close and Personnal

2008-12-12T09:55:00.000-08:00

I have a new blank card addition to Funny Ernie. I love this one. I call it "Up Close and Personnal". To purchase this card visit my Etsy shop.

Custom Portrait of Coty

2008-12-12T09:24:00.000-08:00

Here is my latest custom portrait. This is Coty, a Shar-pei who is getting up there in years. The daughter in law of Coty's owner commissioned him for a christmas present. Here is Coty's picture Doesn't he make you smile?

And here is Coty's portrait

For a custom portrait of your dog visit my Etsy shop.

New Custom Portrait of Bernese Mountain Dog

2008-12-07T13:18:00.000-08:00

I completed my third custom portrait yesterday. It's of a Bernese Mountain Puppy. Isn't she cute? The buyer wanted me to make her eye blue which inspired me to do a watercolor instead of a line drawing and she loved it! So, here she is!

If you'd like your own custom portrait of your dog you can purchase one here. I also offer simple line drawing portraits here.

Custom Portrait of your Dog

2008-12-04T11:54:00.001-08:00

I had someone contact me about doing a custom portrait of their dogs. Why didn't I think of that? Here are the completed drawings though I don't have pics of her dog to put up. I'll be posting another custom portrait soon along with the pic of the dog so be sure to check back. If you're interested in commissioning a custom portrait here is the link.

December Pet Goodie Box

2008-12-02T07:43:00.000-08:00

December's box went on sale yesterday and there are only 11 left! This is a fun box this month with lots of great stocking stuffers for your cat and/or dog and for the pet lover in your life too! Get one before they're gone!

Christmas is coming and the goose is getting fat!

2008-11-23T15:43:00.001-08:00

Ah, finally! I can play my Christmas music and movies! My hubby won't allow it yet but I still do it anyway. I am so excited for Christmas this year. We have our baby girl who will be 5 months on the first of December. It's going to be so fun! I am dying to watch the Polar Express.
I've been itching for weeks but have managed to put it off so far. I'm also dying to watch The Santa Clause 1 & 2, Prancer (the original) and every other Christmas movie I own (I have alot). And for all of you Portlander's out there K103 is playing Christmas music! Whoo Hoo!

Merry Christmas! Feliz Navidad! Our Savior is Born! Happy Holidays!

My latest project.....

2008-11-23T15:19:00.000-08:00

My brothers and I had the cutest stockings growing up. A family friend, who has since passed on to heaven, made them for us when we were little. We each had one with our name spelled out in glitter. Each toe had a jingle bell on the end making it entirly difficult to sneak into our rooms with our stockings.

This will be Ada's first Christmas and she needed her own stocking. So, I made one for her just like the one I had growing up. You have no idea how hard it is to find red craft fur. Why in the world this would be difficult in November I have no idea. Apparently JoAnn's missed the boat on this one because they don't even carry it. I did find some thick red faux fur at Fabric Depot for a whopping 24 dollars a yard (eek!) but purchased 1/2 a yard out of desperation. It just wasn't the same.

So, I posted the thick red (expensive) fur stockings on Etsy and kept hunting for the craft fur. I eventually found it at Hancock Fabrics down in Salem, Oregon. It cost me a measly 7.49 a yard so I bought some and made Ada her first Christmas stocking. I think it turned out pretty well. I hope she loves it as much as I love mine.

And the best part is......when she's old enough I'll be able to hear when she sneaks her stocking into her room!

Merry Christmas!

My first Craft Fair......

2008-11-23T15:13:00.000-08:00

was a total bust! But, I had fun and I can now say I'm addicted to craft fairing, though I am in the hole 25 buckeroos. I have my second fair next month at an actual art center so maybe it will go better. My craft fair neighbor and I decided that our work was far to artsy and talented for the shoppers at our fair. We did, after all, sit at a craft fair in a town the size of my pinky. That's what ya' get. Here is a picture of my table. I thought it turned out pretty good.

Little Ada got to hang out the entire day with Daddy. They came to visit me and boost my ego for a while. She was such a good girl for Daddy. I was so proud! Daddy, however, has been banned from choosing Ada's outfits. She came out in public with a navy blue dress and brown and pink flowered pants. Ugh! I said, "oh, Daddy! What is she wearing! This will not do." And I promptly went out to the car to change her (and feed her). She will soon be dressing herself in these hideous outfits and so I am taking charge at this time in her life when I can make sure her outfits match!

My poor, neglected blog

2008-11-23T15:12:00.000-08:00

My poor, poor neglected blog. I haven't posted in a long time! Well, here come a few posts from the weeks gone by.

And the Winner is......

2008-11-23T15:11:00.000-08:00

Neurotic Grad Student.....Come on down and claim your prize!

Thank you to all who entered the carnival giveaway and for all of your kind comments.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

OHS Shelter Dog of the Week

2008-11-17T12:19:00.002-08:00

What was I doing last friday that I forgot my shelter dog post? Oh, yeah, I was prepping for my first bazaar, which was a bust so I won't elaborate. Here is my shelter dog of the week.

Mesa is a world champion kisser. Sit down with her and all she wants to do is cover your face with kisses to show how happy she is to meet you. Mesa is an older lady with a calm and gentle personality who came to OHS as a stray. She loves to be with her people but prefers interactions on her own terms, so she is looking for a home with children over the age of 12 who can respect her space. Mesa keeps a clean kennel here at the shelter and what she wants most out of her new home is a warm, soft bed and a loving family. Senior dogs are a great choice for families that don't want to deal with puppy antics or overly energetic dogs. Mesa will be content to lie by your side while you work or watch a movie, and accompany you on walks every now and again. This sweet girl has so much love to give and she wants to give it to you; won't you please come in and meet her?

To adopt Mesa visit the Oregon Humane Society. Her code number is 68030.

EtsyGreetings Team Carnival

2008-11-17T11:45:00.001-08:00

EtsyGreetings, the handmade greeting card team at Etsy, is hosting a fun blog carnival all this week. I am participating and giving away a full set of 5 Merry Kissmas cards like these from my shop.

To participate in my giveaway, just leave a comment below with your favorite item from my Etsy shop. I'll choose a winner by random number generator at the end of the week.

To enter to win other fun prizes offered by the many talented members at EtsyGreetings, stop by our blog for a linked list of all the giveaways happening this week.

Page 2 of my Children's book

2008-11-11T15:53:00.001-08:00

Here is page two! I'm on a roll now!

Page 1 of my Children's book

2008-11-09T12:41:00.000-08:00

I wrote a children's Christmas book for my 4 month old baby girl and here is the almost complete first page. I still need to ad the words and sketch out the baby's face. I'll add the words once all the pages are complete so you'll have to check back for that. I made the page with scrap paper and lots of glue.

I was also thinking of printing the book in two languages. Both of our families have alot of German heritage so I was thinking about having my German friend translate it for me. I want to teach our children German so this would be a good opportunity for us to learn it.

OHS Shelter Dog of the Week

2008-11-07T10:34:00.000-08:00

My shelter dog of the week is Rosie, 67809. She's been at the OHS since July of 2008. Help me find her a home!

Here is her bio: Rosie is a sweet older lady looking for a home to call her own. She came to OHS as a stray so we have no history on her. She's looking for a nice, quiet home to spend her retirement years. Rosie may like to be the only pet with no children so she can live the rest of her life comfortably. If you're looking for a sweet, older lady then Rosie might be the girl for you!

Elton the Cat

2008-11-05T18:27:00.000-08:00

I found this article in the Nov. 08 issue of Cat Fancy called Miracle of a Cover Cat. His name is Elton and I thought he was so pretty! I love his eyes. Turns out Elton had a big of amishap with the anethesia during a routine surgery and he almost died! Luckily he pulled through his ordeal but now has to eat through a feeding tube (it's a long story). Hooray for Elton!

Merry Kiss-Mas Card

2008-11-04T07:48:00.001-08:00

I finished a new card. Here he is! I think he's cute but I wonder if he needs something else.......hmmmm......

What do you think?

Pet Jubilee Box on Sale Now!

2008-11-01T14:46:00.000-07:00

There are lots of really cute items in this box. You can visit each contributor's website from http://www.petsjubilee.com. You can purchase a box at our shop on Etsy and Shop Handmade. Links to these shops is on the "Buy a Box" page of our website. Enjoy!

OHS Shelter Dog of the Week

2008-10-31T14:01:00.000-07:00

My shelter dog of the week is Maggie (#15165), an 8 year old Rotty with the sweetest little smile.

Here is Maggie's bio: Maggie is a sweet and loving lass who is sure to win your heart. She is an older girl who belongs at home, snoozing at your feet, instead of in a kennel here at the shelter. She is sensitive and a little shy, so she will need some time to adjust to her new situation. She also does not like being overhandled, so a quiet home with children over 10 will be necessary. Maggie has some problems with her rear legs, and can go only for limited walks. She is happiest napping on a big soft bed, and at her age, what more can you expect? Maggie's not asking much, just that you love her and make the rest of her life comfortable and secure. Included in Maggie's adoption is a consultation with our vet staff to discuss Maggie's legs.

Help me find Maggie a home!

Support the pets of the Iraq War

2008-10-30T18:05:00.000-07:00

Today I received an email from Care2 about the pets soldiers adopt while on assignment in Iraq. Please visit the link below to sign a petition to save these pets. Here is the email:

Army Spc. Gwen Beberg rescued a homeless puppy from a burning pile of trash while on active duty in Iraq last May, and named her new friend Ratchet. She says she couldn't have made it through her 13-month deployment without Ratchet. But Ratchet needed to be rescued a second time - this time from the United States military.

Please tell the military to let soldiers keep their pets»

The U.S. military has a set of regulations called General Order 1A (GO-1A), which prohibits conduct that compromises character and morale. Yet GO-1A includes a strict prohibition on soldiers keeping pets, even though soldiers' pets provide immeasurable comfort and clearly would enhance, not compromise, morale.

Because of these regulations, the military has a policy of confiscating and killing animals rescued by our troops in Iraq, rather than allowing those who have sacrificed so much to adopt and take home the animals that have seen them through the horrors of war.

Our troops and their pets should not suffer any more - urge the military to rescind GO-1A's prohibition on keeping pets»

Ratchet was lucky. Tens of thousands of citizens like you signed a petition urging clemency for him, and after several tries the wonderful people at the SPCA International's Operation Baghdad Pups were able to secure his release and fly him back to Minnesota so that he would be waiting for Spc. Beberg when she arrives home.

But many cats and dogs, and the brave service men and women who have rescued them, still need our help. Every one of us, no matter what our opinion of the current war is, can support our troops by asking the Department of Defense to immediately end their policy of confiscating and killing soldiers' rescued pets.

Please stand up for all of the other Ratchets still in Iraq: http://www.care2.com/go/z/e/Ab0sp/xfbV/ARhrH

Rebecca Young,
Care2 and ThePetitionSite Team

Pets Jubilee goes on sale soon!

2008-10-28T07:26:00.000-07:00

Here are a few more featured artists from the Month of November Pets Jubilee Box.

Posh Puppies makes cute doggie bandanas and dresses and I love this plush bone.

Blennox makes lots of fun and funky things like buttons, magnets and earrings. And it's not all dog related either, in case your not a Dog fan (but who isn't?). I think this Dala pin is great for Christmas.

All About Yoshi makes the CUTEST little hair bows for dogs. They'd look pretty silly in my Ernie's fur (he's 90lbs!) but they would sure be cute in a little bitty dog. If you purchase a bow from Yoshi you will be amazed at how small these bows are.

Pets Jubilee goes on sale soon!

2008-10-25T17:12:00.000-07:00

Three Red Trees has joined Pets Jubilee for the month of November. Here are two items from her shop.

Yay- The icky hedge is gone!

2008-10-25T17:10:00.001-07:00

I just have to show you the BEFORE

and the AFTER

Ta Da!

OHS Shelter Dog of the Week

2008-10-24T09:20:00.000-07:00

This week's Shelter dog is Spencer. He's been at OHS since April. Help me find him a new home! Here is his bio:

Are you looking for a pair of older dogs with good manners and loving personalities? Check out Shadow and Spencer! Spencer is a 10-year-old shepherd/chow mix who is closely bonded with his mom Shadow (#65077). He's looking for a home that will give him time and space to play and go for walks but will also keep him in out of the rain; he doesn't like getting his paddy paws wet. He has a history of living with cats and children but would need a slow introduction to cats and older, respectful children to be successful in his new home. A pet meet is required if you have other dogs. Spencer is a favorite around here, and we hope you will love him and Shadow as much as we do.

Here is his mom, Shadow, and her Bio:

Shadow is a quiet older lady looking for a forever home she can share with her son Spencer (#65076). She's a chow mix who is laid back, and will need a quiet home where her new owners will take her for walks (but not in the rain, she doesn't like getting her feet wet) and give her lots of love. She knows how to sit and shake and has a history of living with cats, but would need a slow introduction as she has been known to chase cats that aren't a part of her family. She will also need to meet any dogs you already have before going home with them, and would prefer a home with older children. Shadow is a lovely girl who deserves a warm bed and loving home for her and her son.

Kazzalblue booties

2008-10-23T08:23:00.000-07:00

I was looking on Etsy for a birthday gift for my cousin's 1st birthday when I came across Kazzalblue. She makes and sells the cutest little booties! And the prices are very reasonable, too - an easy sell for me. I bought a pair for my cousin and, I couldn't resist, a pair for Ada too. Here she is in her new booties! They are a little big but SO cute!

Pets Jubilee goes on sale soon!

2008-10-22T13:09:00.000-07:00

The first Pets Jubilee box goes on sale in just 9 days so I thought I'd feature some of the November contributors on my blog.
LindenTreePhotographs is one of my favorites and she is located just north of me in good 'ol Vancouver. She sells her wares on places like Etsy and Saturday Market in Portland, OR. She'll be at the famous Sat. Market for the Holiday season so stop by and say hi.

I've started a Flickr account

2008-10-22T13:07:00.000-07:00

Oh, yay for me. More things to do. I was doing Twitter but I don't like it so I'm switching to Flickr. I think I'll like it better. Here is my photostream: http://www.flickr.com/photos/funnyernie/

Ada's First Crabbing Trip

2008-10-20T14:15:00.000-07:00

We took Ada on her first crabbing trip this weekend to Nehalem Bay on the Oregon Coast. The weather was beautiful on Saturday but the wind was really cold so we bundled Ada up really good. Lauren and Frank caught LOTS of crab Ada had lots of fun
Thank goodness we're home now because it's POURING rain outside!

Win A Monkey: 2008 OrnaMonkey contest

2008-10-17T11:40:00.001-07:00

OrnaMonkeys are monkey ornaments made from felt to resemble real species of monkeys. One monkey is released each month. Each species is chosen for its charismatic face, interesting social habits or other oddities which make the species unique among primates. Each monkey is collectible and comes with a dated bio-blurb about the species and its conservation status. The felt is eco-spun felt that is 100% post-consumer recycled plastic bottles.

The Monkey of the Month Club gives people a different OrnaMonkey each month for a year. Membership spaces become available in November and are offered at a discount. Each member who signs up before December 31 will receive twelve 2009 OrnaMonkeys for only $99 plus S&H ($168 if purchased individually), a savings of more than 40%. Species to be included are: lemurs, macaques, marmosets, langurs, tamarins, titi monkeys and more. The shipping and handling fee covers the cost of shipping all 12 monkeys ($2 per monkey).

The OrnaMonkeys are a fun way to learn more about the beautiful diversity of primates from a real primatologist - me! In 2007 I earned a PhD in evolutionary psychology. My research focused on mutual grooming among primates and I've taught classes in comparative primate behavior at various universities in the U.S. I love teaching people about primates and these little guys allow me to reach an audience outside of a university setting.

Featured Artist of the Day

2008-10-16T15:06:00.000-07:00

aral33photography is my Featured Artist. I found this artist via an Etsy treasury (I think) and fell in love with these photos. Here are my favorites:

and

and because it's so funny (it's called "war and peeps")!

Christmas has arrived at Funny Ernie

2008-10-16T14:47:00.001-07:00

I finished two new Christmas cards for Funny Ernie. The first one is called Watching For Santa.

The second one is called Waiting for Christmas.

Both can now be purchase at my Etsy store.

Stupid AdWords

2008-10-16T14:37:00.000-07:00

So, I used to have a really cute Blog under petsjubilee.blogspot but I wanted to cancel AdWords so I had to cancel everything! I am so unbelievably mad right now. Great help section Google - NOT!