Random Friday

Yes, Yes, I'm still here. There has been quite a lot of activity here at RuffHaven.
So much that I have not had time to post this week.


The biggest event was "the storm" The DC area had a few storms roll through on Sunday and again on Thursday. I won't bore you with the details. But do you remember the bright and shiny new fence we had installed last month?                       Well.... Honey get your chain saw.
Mother Nature in all her glory decided that not one,    not two....    but FOUR trees needed to go.
So she knocked 'em down pretty as you please, right on that shiny new fence.
Call the fence guy...because he has to repair the fence in FOUR places. heavy sigh.
Oh she also decided that we needed to save money so she knocked our power out too. Hard to go online without electricity and the generator is for more important things like, well......air conditioning and the fridge.


So what else has been happening you might ask.

I was driving down the road the other day.... and I spotted this:

What  is that?

I get a little closer.........hmmmmm.......I slow down.....

Still............What is that?

OK !     I'll pull over.    What IS that?  

 I am always pulling over because ...........well ..........

I find  a lot of good "someone's junk could be my treasure" stuff.

You know you do it too.

I got out of the van
( yes, I drive a van, it's usually full of dogs, and it's good for picking up treasures )

  I looked both ways, because heaven forbid if anyone should actually see me digging around in a corn field and picking up junk off the side of the road,  and taking pictures of it no less. I'd be locked up for sure.....

 

I pulled this poor damsel in distress out of the corn.

I am quite certain she had not intended for her life to end up on the side of the road.

She was in good shape despite someone trying to disrobe her. I am sure she put up a good fight before being tossed out.   Look at the poor thing.

Her dress was ripped in several places and her left boob was practically hanging out.

Cover that up dear.


So she will come home with me.  I'll clean her up and get her some new clothes. She can live in the studio. She's very thin....I'll bet she doesn't eat much at all.

For all you crafty types....you know you haven't seen the last of her.

 Yes I think she will be a fun trash to treasure project.

Have a wonderful weeke.........n.........d....

Oh I almost forgot the sneak peak  ......just a little something.
 Yes, I am still working on the tree collage  ( art cannot be rushed ) .... I did say I am an ADD crafter.... There's always more than one project in progress.
I don't usually do "cute" but here is a preview of a quilt I am working on.  

                                                                     That's all for now.

So what are you working on this week?  

one photo, one thought

best buds

Details Details

I need to interrupt this painting and pasting for a bit of housekeeping. In my real house and on this blog.
As you see in the sidebar I have added 100 links to some of my favorite blogs. I am in the process of placing them in sections according to their area of interest. I'm not sure if blog rolls are still "in" since everyone seems to be making buttons.  If I start to gather buttons, I will have to move the blog links to another page.
If you don't see your link over there, tap me on my shoulder and say so.....  it IS a work in progress and I plan to have every single one of you listed.
On the other hand ...  if you want me to remove your blog from the list, I'll do that too, just let me know.

I really have been enjoying all the bloggers I have met and find it hard to keep up with everyone. You all have so much talent and provide me with hours of inspiration.    So before you go check out a few of the blogs.  Let them know that   Marianne@RuffHaven   sent you. 

a summer sunrise

Before I get to the heart of this post I'd like to answer a question a few people have asked.

"Why did you name your rescue RuffHaven? I mean, isn't that kinda cheesy?"

( yes, someone actually worded it that way )  But I am a big girl and it did not hurt my feelings.

Now the fact that dogs say "ruff" and my driveway is the "ruffest"  in the county,  had nothing to do with the naming of Ruff Haven.

I'll try to keep this short. because I know you really came for the show and tell.

Well, when I decided to open a Sanctuary for old dogs I first went to "Best Friends" The largest Animal sanctuary in the world. Yes...the world.  it on over 33,000 acres in Utah. You should go see it. Even if only on the web.   Anyway.    They really know what they are doing when it comes to setting up a rescue so I took their

"How to start an Animal Sanctuary" Workshop

That was nine days of intense information.  When we got to the subject of business names etc... It looked like  ALL the good sanctuary names have been taken. So I set upon the task of trying to figure out a good name that would fit my sanctuary to a T.

I made a long list of possible names but  I kept coming back to    RUFF ... cheesy... but very fitting.

  Since most of my dogs are large and one form of Chow Mix or another, 

something to do with Chow Chows was in order.   

And since the fur around the neck of a Chow Chow is called a Ruff,  it had to be part of the name.

   BINGO  !     we had a winner !

Now the Haven part was easy. My little portion of the world is my Haven.
So there you have it:     

RuffHaven 

  Rescue and Sanctuary   

gated community for canine seniors 

(and dogs with special needs)

Now on to show and tell.

I have been working on blogs and websites and logos and business paperwork etc....I needed a break from it all so I started a new series of  collages.

Here is a look at the start of the first one.

 Summer Sunrise

layers of paper and paint

draw tiny leaves on sticky back canvas and cut out

add a zentangle tree done on sticky back canvas

take it outside to get a better photo

add leaves

not finished yet.....

To be continued.......
See you tomorrow !

Take a break

Sometimes you need to go for a walk and clear your head.

It's always great when you have a friend who is always willing to go with you. 

 

Today that friend was Shadie.

Yes, I live in the woods
and yes this wonderful dog is Shadie

She is always ready to get away from all the other dogs who live here

a little one on one time

a walk down to an area here at  RuffHaven  that I call   "The Ferns"

There are acres and acres of  ferns down there

And a stream runs right through it

Simply Beautiful

And it's all the more beautiful because I can share it with my friend

Have a beautiful day

I'll be back tomorrow. I have some works in progress to show you. 

                                                                yes real live art being made by me

(oh ...I always said that if I start a blog I'll have to do a photo with my feet in it...
       .....remember in my first post I said I was going to start to follow the crowd.....
             .... I can't count how many feet photos are out the on the web. Can you?

Well that  (up there)  is officially -  MY feet photo #1

I love how Shadie's foot is right next to mine...cool huh?

Putting on my dancing shoes

It's been a while since I've worn these shoes.

The kind of shoes that come along once in a lifetime

They were different

So odd that I had to have them

But I could not wear them the way they were

They just didn't fit right

It's not that they were the wrong size

No

They fit my feet

But they didn't fit my style

They were

too white

They were just the right amount of different.....but they were too white.

So I got out my paints and I got out my ribbons and I got out  a few rubberstamps,
 a craft knife and some glue.
I got out some wire, some charms and some beads.

As I added each drop of paint, the shoes started to take on a new life

my life

my colorful life

soon they were ready for the dance

The Art Dance

It's been a while since I've worn these shoes.

But


I am putting them back on

I am going to the dance again

Are you ready to put on your dancing shoes?

Around the web and back again

Prompted by the many links shared by all the folks I've  met online, I feel like I have been to the end of the interweb and back again. Facebook, Twitter, Flicker, Picassa, E-courses, Webinars,  Blogger, Typepad, Etsy, ArtFire, BigCartel, SquareSpace, GoDaddy, Inspirational blogs, crafty blogs, artist blogs, business blogs, blogs about blogging, blog designer blogs, ...................
                         ......well you get the picture.  ( and no,  I am not going to link to all those places... ugh )

small 4x4 collage created  in 2008

I have been having  SO much fun spreading my wings and flying head on into the most populated place on this beautiful earth....The Internet.  Holy Moly...to me.... a newbie....it's like a crazy overcrowded city. Add my inability to focus, and my easily distracted muse to the equation and you have the equivalent of a puppy in the toy aisle at PetSmart for the first time.  Each click of my mouse has me changing direction, changing my mind, going in circles.
Along the way I have met the most wonderful people.
And since they are not literally bumping into me on the street.....I will stay.                
I can handle this type of crowded street.

So here you are,  you have met the last person on the face of the earth to enter the web.
Yep....that's me.
It's all quite a bit intimidating. But at least I can close my laptop....... and instantly I am back home.

Relaxing in the field behind my woodland home.

 Whether you love the city or county or both. Have a great weekend !

Hellos and Goodbyes

As the e-course with Kelly Rae Roberts came to a close I experienced a feeling of emptiness. We shared a lot during those five weeks. With so much content and wisdom being bestowed upon us from Kelly Rae, and friendships being formed, it was a wonderfully overwhelming journey. It will take quite a while for me to absorb everything. I will miss these people. Thankfully many of us are quickly linking to each other through blogs and facebook so we can continue to learn from each other and grow as artists. I am amazed at the talent these women possess. I have set up an area on my sidebar where I will list links to their blogs. Most of them will fall into the friend category.

One of my classmates, Adriana, makes these beautiful lampwork beads. I had always wanted to learn that skill, but the three evil villains, Time, Space and Money, had other plans. Look at these handmade lampworked Beads By Adriana.
She does amazing things with glass and she's also a very warm and lovely person.

Then there's Blenda. She paints with a style that I can only describe as wildly soft. She has a colorful website.
Go take a look. But come right back. I have one more to share.

See I told you they were wildly colorful and soft.

Now you need to go meet Kelly. I like her blog and her tagline:
"Add a little beauty to your life every day".

So go say "hello" to them and tell them Marianne@RuffHaven sent you.
And while you do that, I have to go say "goodbye" to some money. Those Artists have some great gifts I can buy for myself ah , my daughter....yes my daughter would love .......oh who am I kidding?....I'll go buy something for myself.

Have a great 4th of July !

Flying Lessons

I am taking an e-course. It is my first . I've decide that in order to put myself out there I must learn how to navigate all the social networking sites and get to know some like minded individuals. At the same time Kelly Rae Roberts had announced her e-course. 


I know it's about starting a creative biz and I am really not sure that's what I want to do at this point in time. I have enough on my plate as it is. But where, other than an e-course full of Artists, could I meet so many people and gather knowledge all in the same place ?    Bingo !  sign me up !    So that's what I did.   And let me tell you. It is probably the smartest move I have made since I married my husband.  I have met so many fantabulous people and you know what?  Perhaps I will become brave and  actually start to sell some of my creations.   I usually give everything away.  like this purse I made for my niece.

Or this quilt I made for my Brother-in-Law.

One more thing before I go.  I want to thank all of you who have been so encouraging while I stumble around in this confusing land of blogs.  I am starting to feel the dread melt away with each post.  It is getting easier and easier to post. It's still alot of ....type....delete.....type....delete.......But I'll get there.