Boston Terrier In The Dog House

Even though we are right in the middle of a snowstorm and there is about three inches already on the ground spring is in the air and this little Boston Terrier is waiting for warmer days and a place to call home.

The entire top of the piece is hand-sculpted with polymer clay. The dog house is white with pink heart and flower accents on all walls embellished with tiny silver beads. There are little flowers blooming around the house on colored wire. The house and flowers are fused to the base, but the Boston Terrier herself is removable and can lay either in the house or be taken out to be placed elsewhere. She wears a 10mm Swarovski crystal AB heart around her neck attached with pink and yellow embroidery threads. The entire piece sits on a pale green wooden hand-cut and painted base.

I first introduced this little Boston Terrier here and she's waiting for a new home.

A percentage of the sales from this little Boston Terrier goes towards my EFA group's charity of the month. EFA is a group of Etsy artists committed to helping animals.

Spay Day, February 24th

Lena loves EFA members and supports Spay Day :)

The 15th annual Spay Day USA is Tuesday, February 24th. Spay Day is held every year in February to promote awareness of pet overpopulation problems in the United States.

My shop NanjoDogz is participating in Spay Day with 20% profits from that day to go to Illinois Doberman Rescue -- and if you mention the word "blog" in notes to seller upon checkout, I will also take 10% off your total order excluding shipping for Spay Day, February 24, 2009.

Here is a list of fellow Etsy Shops and EFA members offering specials on this year's Spay Day:
Dragon Rags
JenniferLynn Productions Photography
Heather 3 Am Art Productions
Elephant Dance
mvegan5
WHSKR
Little Studio Jewels
SilverRose Designs
alilsumptinsumptin
All About Cats
Lynn Lola Lynn
Punky Bunny Designs
Creature Comfort
Veganessa
Midnight Rabbits
Silent Lotus
kittyanydots
Woven Dreams
Julie Birkemeier Photography
Aguavino
NYCrochet
Knitty Krissy
Love Luca
Barking Dog Blankets
Open Secret
claynfiber
Lacewood
Small Time Shopping
Ann Art By Ann Ranlett
Pocket Full Of Sunshine
The Faerie Cupboard
Apache Moon
Ciao, Hound
Belle Sirota

Sammy the Post Office Cat

I first heard of Sammy through another member of my EFA (Etsy for Animals) group. Here is the video to get you up to date.

A lot of fellow EFA members are sending off Sammy a little something to show their support and even though NanjoDogz is really all about dogs, we love cats too (and all critters) and we could not resist but to send Sammy along a little something. I received this sample package of organic cat food and could not decide what to do with it as I don't have a cat and then Sammy came along. We are hoping that they let Sammy back into the post office so he can have his rightful place on his little table near the window ledge. We want Sammy to know the Dogz are behind him!

Etsy for Animals (EFA) Birthday Bash

The EFA is having a Birthday Bash from September 15th through September 30th. I will be accepting a 20% off coupon in my shop. The coupon code to use is NANJO. Just put the code in the notes to seller section and either proceed through to checkout and pay for the item and I will reimburse you the 20% or do not proceed through to make payment and I will send a revised invoice. Either way it's pretty easy so stop on by NanjoDogz between Sept. 15th thru Sept. 30th and receive a 20% discount. There are approximately 150 Etsy shops that are accepting the 20% off coupon including the Etsyforanimals shop. You can use the assigned code for each store or you can use my code NANJO in any of these participating stores to receive 20% off. You can find a complete list of the stores at the EFA website.

EFA Interview - Jane Diamond Designs

Gretchen Kitty Angel

Here is another installment of my monthly EFA (Etsy for Animals) interviews. This interview is with Jane of Jane Diamond Designs. It is a wonderful interview that reveals Jane's love of her cat Abbey, her love of cats and all animals and how that shines through in her artwork. I do hope that you'll read on and get to know Jane. I've added a couple of pieces of Jane's wonderful artwork that are available in her Etsy shop.

1. Tell us your name and a little about you?

Greetings! I'm Jane Diamond. I am a huge animal lover and am passionate about supporting animals rights. I've been a vegetarian for 18 years, and have currently been converting to becoming a vegan. I love all animals, but cats are my favorite! My own cat, Ms. Abbey, being my favorite cat of course! I am a self taught artist and crafter. I love all creative forms of self expression - from painting, to dying my hair bold and fun colors, to dancing. Some of my favorite hobbies are photography, hula hooping, and playing piano. I like to collect old postcards of cats, vinyl records, and books. I'm a quiet person by nature, and spend my free time at libraries, museums, conservatories, watching silent films and early talkies, and spending time with my cat. But when I go out, I like to go to clubs to dance, or attend concerts of my favorite bands.

2) Where can we find your Etsy shop?

You can check out my Etsy shop at: www.janediamond.etsy.com. And I have a blog at: www.janediamond.blogspot.com and you can find my personal website at: www.geocities.com/janediamondsart/

3) What do you create (if multiple things, what is your favorite)?

I create fabulous and fun items for people and their feline friends. My arts and crafts range from cat painting prints, handmade and hand sewn catnip toys and sachets, as well as other cat themed items like magnets, greeting cards, jewelry, and more! I have recently been making ACEO prints of my cat paintings too. Of all the things I create, my favorites are my cat paintings and catnip toys. I also create collages, decorative paper mache' boxes and cigar boxes purses, and people portrait paintings as well.

4) Who or what inspires you?

My cat of 18 years, Ms. Abbey, inspires me the most. I fondly refer to her as my 'mews' (muse). Because of the strong and loving bond we have, and her very expressive and sweet personality, Abbey inspires a lot of my personal cat art. My other main inspiration comes from my favorite artist, Louis Wain. Louis Wain was a English Victorian cat artist who was very popular in his time. His artwork and life story has had a great impact on my own cat art. Our cat art styles are very different, but the intention of our cat art is the same - to spread and share the happiness cats fill our lives with, to other people. I am also inspired by other Victorian/Edwardian cat artists, as well as other different types of art such as Art Nouveau, Art Deco, Pop Art, and much more!

5) How many pets do you have and what are their names (any interesting stories about how they came to be your pet)?

I have one cat, my 'golden girl', Ms. Abbey. Although I've had other cats and other various pets growing up though the years. Ms. Abbey came into my life when I was a Veterinary Assistant working at the animal hospital in the small town where I grew up. Abbey's original owner had become allergic to her, and brought her to the animal hospital for us to keep her there to be adopted out. But she didn't stay at the hospital for long. It was "Kitty Love" at first sight, Abbey and I had an instant bond from the start, and I soon took her home, and she's been with me ever since! :)

6) How do you give back to our animal friends? What charities do you hold near and dear to your heart?

I give back to animals in a couple different ways. At Etsy, I am a proud member of "Etsy For Animals", and I give 10% of my sales from my items tagged with 'efa' to the Etsy For Animals charity of the month. EFA always selects amazing charities each month that I'm so happy to help out and be a part of. Also via Etsy, I help animals by buying items from the Etsy For Animals shop, as well as from other people's shops who are Etsy For Animals members too. In addition, I also work with a no-kill cageless cat shelter in Chicago called "Harmony House". I do commissioned cat artwork to help promote their special events - such as their annual Walkathon and many of their different Holiday Fest events, and more. I have donated my commissioned cat artwork, money, and attend their events at Harmony House to help support and raise money for the shelter. Also, anything I sell at my Etsy shop that I created for Harmony House, I donate 20% of sales from those items to Harmony House Cat Shelter. I also donate money to Farm Sanctuary, another one of my favorite animal charities. Etsy For Animals, Harmony House Cat Shelter and Farm Sanctuary are the animal charities I hold closest to my heart and feel the most passionate about.

I really love helping animals through my art. Painting and making crafts are so much fun for me, and it's extra special when I know the people buying my cat creations for themselves and/or for their kitties, love and enjoy what I make, but I feel that helping our animal friends in need in the process of my work is especially rewarding to me. As an animal lover, making changes to improve the welfare of animals can sometimes feel overwhelming, since are so many animals in dire need all over the world, but I am a firm believer in that every little bit counts. Because all those 'little bits' actually add up to make for big and wonderful changes in the lives of our precious and beautiful animal friends.
Kitten Dreams Magnet

Etsy for Animals Featured Artist

Etsy for Animals (EFA) is a group of Etsy artists who dedicate a portion of their sales to helping our animal friends. We are featuring an artist a month from the EFA group and are proud to feature our first artist, Ciara from the Etsy shop Ciara Loves You. You can visit Ciara and her lovely creations at www.ciaralovesyou.etsy.com . Here's more about Ciara.

1) Tell us your name and a little about you?

I'm Ciara and my store name is Ciara Loves You! I've been making my own clothing ever since high school, but only started selling crocheted, knitted and fabric designs in 2004. My style comes mostly from the northeast, where I grew up and went to school, but is also influenced by the tropical colors and climate where I live now, in Miami. My day job is travel writing, which is just as inspiring--I love to bring back handmade goods from all over the globe! And when I'm not at work in some far-off region, I'm at home, snuggling my kitties, reading, and eating way too much ice cream.

2) Where can we find your Etsy shop? Are there any other places we can see Ciara Loves you creations?

My Etsy shop is www.ciaralovesyou.etsy.com, and I also have blogs at Vox (ciaralovesyou.vox.com), Livejournal (ciaralovesyou.livejournal.com), Blogger (ciaralovesyou.blogger.com) and Myspace (www.myspace.com/shopciaralovesyou). I spend most of my day in front of my laptop, as you can plainly see. :)

3) What do you create and if multiple things, what is your favorite)?

I could never pick a favorite thing to create -- one of my favorites right now is my newest design, an asymmetrical tank top with dove detailing. I also really like making crocheted clutches -- they're a mix of granny chic and classic glamour, which is what I like to think is my own personal aesthetic. And I know my cats' favorite things are the cat toys I test out on them! I have a line of Kitty Monsters, little felty beasts with catnip inside, as well as Hairballs, crocheted, furry balls with bells and catnip inside.

4) Who or what inspires you?

It sounds cheesy, but I'm inspired by just about everything. I love to sit along a busy street with a sketchbook and watch people walk by, and just analyzing what I see and reworking it to make it my own. My day job takes me to the Caribbean a lot, and through my visits there I've discovered how much I love bright colors, as long as they're done in the right way. When I lived up north, I wore mostly black and grey -- I didn't know what I was missing! And when it comes to comfort, I'm my own inspiration. I'm always thinking, "would this be comfortable for me to wear?"; it's my number one priority, because I have no patience for itchy, annoying, uncomfortable clothing, no matter how good it may look to someone else.

5) How many pets do you have and what are their names (any interesting stories about how they came to be your pet)?

I have two cats. The oldest is named Mr. Manny Ramirez, Supercat, after the Red Sox player. He's a bit temperamental with other people, but with his mama, he's a total snugglebug. Every time I sit down to talk on the phone, he climbs right up onto my lap; I think he thinks I'm talking to him! The youngest is named Little Papi Ortiz, after David Ortiz, also of the Red Sox. He's still a kitten, so he keeps Manny on his toes. The weird thing about him is, he doesn't like to cuddle--he likes to play, 24-7. And he's a toe-licker; anyone walking around my apartment in bare feet will eventually feel a scratchy little kitty tongue on her/his toes! Weirdo. :)

6) How do you give back to our animal friends? What charities do you hold near and dear to your heart?

I donate cat toys to local shelters, and I try to give to as many animal-related charities as I can. One of my recent favorites is an organization called Feral Friends out in Dallas, TX. I met one of its volunteers on a trip, and he was really passionate about his work, and totally inspired me to check them out. More on Feral Friends is at www.feralfriends.org.


Thanks so much Ciara and thank you for all you do for our animal friends!