You might have noticed that some of my photos have been looking a little bit different lately.
Dare I even say a bit more “professional”?
No, I haven’t hired a professional photographer, mom has just been getting a little camera happy after she purchased me some studio backdrops…..fancy right?
It’s the perfect excuse to have a little photoshoot! And while we’re still just using natural light to snap my photos, mom hopes maybe someday we’ll add some real studio lighting to the mix for an even more professional look!
For now I’m just enjoying feeling like a celebrity and practicing for when I have my own big deal modeling gig!
Pretty soon the paparazzi is gonna start following me around and I’ll be as big a deal as the Kardashians!
But don’t worry, when I’m uber famous I’ll still be the same old cowboy I’ve always been!
And perhaps you’ll fall in love with me even more!
But for now I’m quite content just being me, the King of my own backyard!
Disclaimer: This review and giveaway is brought to you by Easy 123 Art.
Growing up in a family of artists (including myself) there never seems to be a shortness of creativity. But did you know that even if you aren’t of the artistic nature, that it’s still as easy as 123, with Easy 123 Art!
Makers of the Photo by Numbers Kit, I was super excited when they offered me up the chance to test out their mini 8×8 paint by number kit.
So first things first, I had to choose one of my photos that I wanted to turn into a paint by number. This was no easy task if you have seen the number of photographs my mom takes of me on a daily basis. So we finally settled on this shot of me on the Cape May Beaches this summer.
We sent my photo off to Easy 123 Art, and they sent me back this nifty little paint by number kit a few days later.
Complete with brushes and acrylic paints numbered to match the blocks on your art, it was time for mom to get painting!
Mom decided to use some of her own paintbrushes she had on hand for the detailed stuff, but it was noted in the directions that you could trim the ends of the brushes included with a pair of scissors to get a more detailed brush.
Starting with the smallest numbers first, slowly mom began to make progress on my painting.
Over a week, working on it here and there at the shop, my painting was starting to take shape.
After the painting was complete this is what it looked like. Mom decided to do a little editing herself though and painted over the id tag from my collar that she didn’t think was necessary, and when it was all said and done it looked like this….
I was quite impressed, and the only thing missing was a frame! So being that I work in a custom framing shop I just couldn’t leave this work of art unfinished.
So here’s the finished product, which is happily hanging on the wall at the shop!
Easy 123 Art’s Paint by Numbers kits come in several different sizes, and the coolest part is that you can turn ANY photo you have into a work of art. These would make great gifts for the holidays, so make sure you add them to your Christmas lists!
For this giveaway I will be using, Rafflecopter. We only use the information you provide to contact the winners and we never share it – so not to worry. Winners will be chosen at random and you will be contacted via e-mail to claim your prize. All the winners will also be announced on this blog post once the giveaway ends on 11/12/13 12AM EST. Open to US Residents Only. Winners must claim their prizes within 48 hours of being notified or prize will be forfeited. Good luck!
Halloween may officially be over, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have a little costume fun all year round! These Happy Hound Hats from Kalyxcraftopia are designed to fit little dachshund heads, but I’m sure they would work well for other breeds too!
My pal Baxter is quite the model isn’t he? His mom even made me a happy hound hat a few years ago….
So if you’re looking to have a little fun with your pet, make sure you check out Kalyxcraftopia for some Happy Hound Hats!
P.S. Baxter’s mom also custom makes harnesses for happy little dachshunds (I own a few), so make sure you drop her an e-mail if you’re looking for something special for your dog.
Ok so it’s one more day until Halloween, but I just couldn’t wait any longer to reveal my 2013 Halloween Costume!
Fittingly I decided to dress as another Hero of sorts, Raphael the Ninja Turtle, who even happens to be named after a famous painter. So I thought it was pretty appropriate that I chose to dress as him, since I am a painter as well!
Now being a Ninja Turtle doesn’t come without it’s own set of responsibilities. I don’t just carry around my Sai’s for fun, I have to protect the city from bad guys, specifically Shredder!
While I’m fighting crime my mask helps to protect my identity, although I’m pretty sure there aren’t too many masked turtles running around the city, but nonetheless!
I’ll let you in on a little secret though, the real reason I chose to dress as a Ninja Turtle is I hear they get all the pizza they can eat!
Weapons, pizza, and heroes – now that’s my kind of costume!
I even have an awesome turtle shell that my mom made to protect me from attacks! (and special thanks to Rebel Wag for custom making me my turtle hoodie) I’m totally ready for battle!
So when the darkness creeps in tomorrow on Halloween, you better watch out…..
….because nobody, and I mean nobody, is gonna touch my pizza while I’m on duty!
Cowabunga, Dude!
P.S. I’d love to see what creative costumes all my fans have come up with! So post your pets Halloweenie costumes this year on my Facebook page so we can all oooh and ahhhh over your adorable puppies!
Recently I helped mom come up with a button design for my etsy shop, because everyone loves a good button! You can put them everywhere – on your book bag, on your shirt, on your friends shirt, on anything you want!
Blindingly bright yellow and featuring my logo and favorite saying, “Adventure Awaits”, these buttons are now available in my etsy shop! And for the time being I’ll also be sending them out in every purchase from my shop too! It’s my little gift to you!
Disclaimer: This review and giveaway is brought to you by Chewy.
The Wellness brand is one that I totally stand behind, after all I do eat their dog food on a daily basis! So when my friends at Chewy.com sent over a bag of Wellness WellBites I was super excited to try a dog treat that not only tastes good, but is dog mom approved too.
Flaxseed provides Omega 3 Fatty Acids for healthy coat and skin
Mixed tocopherols protect from common eye diseases
Packed with blueberries and other antioxidant-rich fruit
Made in the United States
Mom loved that they were easy to tear off into tiny pieces, but not too soft that they crumbled in her pocket. And as a bonus they weren’t stinky or smelly so she wasn’t known as “the lady with a pocket full of dog cookies” everywhere she went.
I loved that they tasted yummy, and because they were easy to travel with – mom always had a pocket full of treats!
For those of you who follow me on Facebook I’m sure you have been on the edge of your seats waiting for me to share all my adventures from this past weekend at the Yuengling Oktoberfest event in Bethlehem, Pennyslvania.
Well after obtaining my special Puppy Pass (for VIP Dachshunds only) I was excited to attend my very first Oktoberfest!
I was super excited to see some fellow germans at the Oktoberfest – I felt right at home immediately!
I had fun touring around the event, everything smelled so wonderful, especially the sausages and beer!
I quickly began to make new friends – the german ladies loved me, what can I say I’m a handsome guy!
Even the children couldn’t keep their hands off me!
I had fun soaking up the culture, and after watching some german dances I was definitely ready for the main event – the Dachshund Races!
The Dachshunds came from all over to race, and there was even a few other super heroes in the mix besides myself!
I even got to meet one of my Facebook friends, Super Dash, who came sporting a bowtie his mom made him from my DIY Bowtie tutorial!
There were dachshunds big and small – some twice my size, some half my size, but everyone came for one reason – to race for the title of Champion!
With over 40 Dachshunds competing I knew it was going to be pretty tough to beat them all. But after winning a few of the preliminary heats I was pretty confident I could make it to the top. And after showing off a few of my favorite tricks I was clearly the crowd favorite to win when I made it to the final race!
Just watch what happened yourself….
If you had trouble telling what happened – it’s because mom’s camera skills were not so stellar. She said it was difficult to film me and call my name/shake cookies at the same time. Excuses, excuses.
Regardless, I won 3 preliminary heats, beating out some really fast weenies – and earning myself a spot in the final against 2 other super fast dachshunds. The final race was run and I came in at a photo finish with a dachshund named Tucker – who had me beat in size by a lot! So the judges decided to re-run the race, just me and Tucker.
I like to think I won that final race, but since it was so close to call the judges said Tucker won by just a nose!
Even though I didn’t win the coveted Champion title, reserve champ still came with some pretty nice perks. I got to take home this hand-blown glass dog bone from the ArtsQuest Glass Blowing Studio and these yummy handmade cookies from Whisker Biscuits.
Not only that but I also brought home not one, but two dachshund cakes from the Vallos Bakery! (too bad mom says they are only for human consumption).
Even though I can’t say I’m the Dachshund Races Champion it still feels pretty great to be Reserve Champion. After all, I am still faster than a speeding bullet!
You may have already heard, but it’s official, my 2014 wall calendar has hit the shelves!
Packed with lots of photos from my adventures this past year, it’s sure to put a smile on your face each new month.
The perfect size to hang above your desk, next to your kitchen sink, or on the wall next to your bed – it even includes a bulldog clip for easy hanging.
So tell your friends, tell your mom, tell everyone you know! You can purchase one of my 2014 Calendars in my Etsy Shop! Soon I will be coming out with some Holiday cards and several new products as well, so stay tuned. And if you need even more smiles every month, make sure you check out the Painting Ponies’ 2014 Calendar too!
It’s Birthday Week, which means I plan to celebrate BIG! So this year mom helped me whip up the perfect party accessory, a PINATA! Keep reading to find out how you can make your own piñata for your dog.
Supplies:
Thin Cardboard (cereal boxes work great)
Tape
Scissors
Pencil
Tissue Paper
String
Small dog cookies
Step 1: Trace the shape of your piñata onto two pieces of cardboard. We chose to use a dachshund shape, but this could work for any dog shape. The more simplified the shape is the easier it will be to create a piñata. Then cut both of them out.
Step 2: Cut several strips about 3″ wide out of a thin cardboard (cereal boxes work great), then begin to edge one of your dog shapes by taping the strips along the edges.
Step 4: When you have edged your shape all the way around the dog, make a hinged door at the base of the dog. You will also want to make sure you section off some of your dog shape so that the cookies will stay in one area (and not fall into the legs) like the picture above. When you are all done you will want to add your second dog shape to the other side and tape into place.
Step 5: Cut several strips of tissue paper out and fringe the edges of them with your scissors.
Step 6: Wrap the tissue paper around your dog and tape into place. You can alternate colors by overlapping them.
Step 7: Tie a string through the door of your piñata, you can use a small stick to keep it from pulling through. Then cover the base of your dog in tissue paper and tape several pieces of dummy string (that won’t do anything when pulled) to the underside. It helps to use a less sticky tape like washi tape, or simply rub scotch tape on your clothing before attaching to the piñata.
Step 8: Fill your piñata with small cookies and tape shut with a small piece of slightly sticky tape.
Step 9: If you want your dog to be able to open the piñata themselves then you may want to tie some cookies to the ends of your strings. Otherwise you can pull the string for your dog.
Step 10: Hang your piñata for your dog to enjoy! Make sure you always supervise your dog while playing with the piñata and do not allow them to eat the string!
I had a blast with my Birthday Piñata, just check out the video below:
