Author: denise

I have done beadwork for over 25 years and got so interested in jewelry design that I took two metalwork classes at Arrowmont School of Arts & Crafts in Gatlinburg, Tennessee from wonderful teachers Deborah Lynn Gold and Marjorie Simon. I can't choose a favorite medium. I love sculptural work and adore forming and fabricating metals, but three-dimensional beadwork is more colorful. I sew a lot! Lately I've been making lots of purses and wallets as well as upcycling used clothing into new items. Lately I've gone back to sewing and refashioning cast-off clothing–mostly men's shirts, into girls' clothing. I also enjoy making handbags and wallets. They are really fun to put together–like a puzzle.

Dog Troubles

Our sweet, larger outside dog, Max, was lonely since I brought Sophie inside to keep Sugar company.  We thought he needed a friend.  My son has a larger dog, a Walker Hound, who was also lonely.  Why not put them together and see if they can be friends we thought.  Things went pretty well yesterday, but today the hound has been violently keeping Max in the corner.  Poor Max.  Well, the Walker is going back to his other home tomorrow.  Max may not be lonely after this.  He might like the solitude of his own dog lot.

New Job & Dog Tales

As of July 1, 2012, I am the Membership Director of Foothills Craft Guild.  I will keep up with all the members, take care of the monthly newsletter and publish the directory among other things.  I think it will be fun.  I love organizing, although my house would never prove it.

I have moved Sophie, the vicious Corgi, into the house with Sugar, the aggressive and territorial JRTerror (misspelling is intentional).  Sophie couldn’t come into the house before because she had tried to kill Red Dog.  Twice.  Since Red Dog died I have missed having two dogs and Sophie’s behavior has improved so much that I decided to try it again.  Thank you, Cesar Milan, for showing me how to train a predatorily aggressive dog.  I think that Sophie was a puppy mill breeding bitch since she had no social skills at all.  She would come inside to urinate, was unused to affection and had to try to kill any other dogs around.  She now follows me like a good little herder and doesn’t attack Sugar even when Sugar growls because Sophie gets too close to her bed.  Sophie is even great around my 18 month-old granddaughter who loves to pull fur.  Now, I hope to take them for more walks when the weather goes below 95 degrees.  My pack.  Walking together.