Pet People Talk

Pet Lovers News and Animal Views

Spring in our Manzano Mountains

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It started out beautifully…

It was an idyllic start to the day… My son David communed with sweet Lena the horse in our pasture, Diana and I headed down the road with our husky-mix Minnie on a leash. Birds were singing, the sun was shining…

But spring in our Manzano mountains, is full of surprises. Not suspecting the turn of events to come soon, Diana and I planned a family outing for the afternoon with the kids.  I felt like I was walking in a greenhouse, the New Mexico Sun beating down mercilessly while we strolled down the bone-dry but still rutted road from a recent snow storm. Diana and I took off our sweaters and dangled them on pinon trees to pick up on the way back. (Try that in a city!)

And under that cloudless blue sky, we both thought it was time to at least plan our spring gardens. So we discussed horse manure, composting and how many cherry tomato plants we should supply ourselves with this year. And talked over starting that pile of “good dirt” the next day in the back of the house, near where we’d be putting in the veggie beds.

But Then…

A half hour later and back home, my iphone “went off” warning of an upcoming dust storm and how we should all stay home and off the highways where we might run into zero visibility. Off to the west we saw an ominous brown cloud approaching.

Within an hour the balmy spring day turned frigid, wind gusts approaching 70 mph. Clothes I’d just hung on the line were straining at the clothespins, twisting, catching on stray nails and being generally difficult to remove. I fought those forces of nature and got my laundry safely inside.

And then it started to snow. Big fast flakes coming down from the mountains at a furious angle of force. The ground was covered in an hour. David had a fire going in the big part of the house (where the rest of my family live) and I was happily cozied up in my apartment in the back reading a Louie L’Amour book about the Old West and sipping a cup of hot tea.

Personality of the Wind

In my neck of the woods, the wind has a volatile personality and voice. This particular day it sounded mad, furious even. I ignored it like a tantrum-prone child, knowing it would settle down at least by morning.

Crazy New Mexico weather. It’s been said we have 12 seasons here, 2 per month. Here are a few of them: Spring, false spring, “the pollening”, summer, blast furnace, false autumn, actual autumn…you get the idea. The good part is that none of them last too long, just long enough to be interesting. 

My husband adored this state, cantankerous weather and all. As I live through years with Ed no longer by my side, I feel comforted by the sunrises and sunsets that drew him outside no matter the temperature. I live for now on a piece of earth that we shared and marveled at together, calling each other to the window to spy on deer or dramatic clouds above the mountains.

May your spring be balmy, chilly, beautiful and finally, green.

Love from Your Animal Loving Artist,

Merry

Country Christmas at The Magic Zoo

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I have always loved the holiday season, especially our country Christmas traditions…And this year, besides my usual filling of orders and sending Magic Zoo stocking-stuffers to all corners of the world, a few other holiday surprises are in the air.

Like this one: I’m offering FREE priority shipping on ALL orders through December! Doesn’t matter what or how many things you purchase. I figure it’ll get to you just that much faster!

Other Fun Stuff…

This past September I joined my mountain community’s seasonal choir! Every Monday night for the past 4 months I’ve been practicing with 24 fellow singers. We’ll be performing at our local arts community center on December 18. I’m hoping those challenging harmonies come together for all of us by then! Fingers crossed…

Also, over the past 6 months my son and I collaborated and made a beautiful little private apartment for me in the rear of our big old country house. Amazingly, I was able to fit a Christmas tree in the small living room area by doing a bit of minor rearranging. Yes, that’s it at the top of this blog post.

I love my cozy space, which has all my favorite things from years of trading with fellow artists at shows from California to the East Coast. Since my siblings (and my late mother) are (were) artists, my walls are filled with gorgeous painting, drawings and wooden art pieces. And soon I’ll be installing my own handmade tiles as a backsplash above my sink. I just can’t stop creating!

Our New 4-Legged Companion!

And…we have a new family member! Her name is Minnie and she is an (almost) 50 lb. husky mix. After having only cats in my life for most of my (almost) three quarters of a century, I’ve fallen in love with this sweet girl. She’s still a puppy (about 9 months old) and is frisky, happy and quite beautiful! And she adores the snow. Which makes sense, considering her heritage.

Minnie is a stray, who showed up at our house a several months ago. We traced her current origins at that time to a dog lover named Kevin on the other side of our neighborhood mountains (someone had “dropped her off” on his property when she was a little puppy and he had been housing and feeding her ever since). Kevin had her spayed, and she has a cute little heart tattoo on her lower abdomen as proof. I’d never heard of that, but Diana, my daughter-in-law says it makes her look like a biker chick pup.

After deliberating for a few months if we should add a dog to our current menagerie, we decided to adopt her on a trial basis. But you know how that goes…We all love her, despite her being very vocal (she doesn’t really bark, she just “talks” a lot). And she hasn’t quite settled in with the cats.

But Minnie is passionate about her walks, and all of the adults are getting in real good shape with Minnie setting the pace. We don’t let her off leash, at least not yet. Huskies are known to be wanderers, and we want to make sure she sticks around.

Minnie and the cats seem to tolerate each other OK, but I’m hoping for a Christmas miracle where they can actually sniff noses and be friends. Too much to ask? I’m not sure yet. Anyway, the animals don’t live in my part of the house, so I get all the amusement and exercise without any of the cleaning up after. A pretty good arrangement.

Best Part of the Season…Fun with Grand kids!

I almost forgot! This weekend “baking Christmas cookies with Grammy” was one of the kids’ advent calendar treats. So…here we are, creating memories for yet another holiday season.

I hope you have a remarkably, magical and exceptionally wonderful December. Tell me about one or two of your special holiday traditions!

With Love and Magical Holiday Wishes,

Merry

New Silver Dragon Jewelry!

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Way back in the day, I made dragon jewelry. Friendly dragon jewelry. They were a popular design then, and I’ve missed including them in my collection these past 25 years.

My dragons were made from teal-colored polymer clay. They had cute little wings, a friendly face, plump tummies and (not sure why) purple stripes. Not like any dragon I’d ever seen. After all these years, I still think of them with fondness.

So, what the heck. Why not give my little dragon new life? After all, with a company called The Magic Zoo, I thought that would be appropriate.

Introducing Lulu

Starting with this sterling silver dragon, I’ve decided to give all of my fanciful designs their own names. This one is called “Illusion”, “Lulu” for short.

And Lulu has opened up all sorts of possibilities for me. In fact, I just created a new category called “Fantasy and Extinct” animals. And that’s where YOU come in!

Your Ideas, Please!

Often I depend on you to tell me what you’d like to see me make next. (“Next” being a relative term, since my closest window for making new designs will be after the holidays).

My daughter-in-law (also my lovely model for most of my designs) has put in her vote for a Dodo bird. Amazingly enough, there are dodo bird jewelry designs out there on the internet. Which is a good thing! It means people do search for that.

I Need More Hours in the Day…

But what about dinosaurs? Passenger pigeons? Extinct marsupials? My imagination is pretty good, but if I add your creative ideas to mine, how can I lose?

It’s hard to restrain myself from plunging right in, right now. “But really (I tell myself) you don’t have time to start creating now. The holidays are around the corner, you have to build up your stock, order more supplies, reorganize your studio, blah blah blah.”

All true, of course. But…you just never know. At this moment, I have a blob of modeling material on my desk enticing me. I’ll leave it there for now, but if I get itchy fingers, anything could happen.

Oh, if you do think of some ideas for me, see if a name pops into your head, too. Doris the Dodo for instance. I think a Dodo looks like a Doris. Not that alliteration is a requirement.

The coming winter will be a long one here in New Mexico. But it warms my heart to think of making magical creatures so those snowy months in the mountains pass by creatively.

I can’t wait to hear your ideas!

Your (Real and Fantasy) Animal Loving Artist,

Merry

Magic Zoo: New Designs and More!

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This has been a year of creativity in more ways than one.

First off, I’ve created so many new Magic Zoo designs. This has been one heck-of-a-year for me as an artist. Think bears, sharks, angelfish, new opossums, porcupines, doves, new owls and lots more! All over the animal map, really. By the way, this is my beautiful daughter-in-law modeling my new 14K gold shark jewelry.

However…designing jewelry is not all I’ve been up to…As most of you know, when my husband passed in late 2020, my son and his family moved into my big rambling house. It has been lots of fun, and very comforting for me to have them so near.

But I was Ready for a Change!

There came a point when I needed my own private space again. So… we did tons of rearranging and through the magic of my son’s remodeling skills, we created an entire “wing” for me in the back of the house. Here are a couple of photos…

There’s also a galley kitchen along one wall, which is great for me when I feel peckish at midnight, or want to get up super early, do my exercises and make a vegan breakfast just a few steps from my bedroom.

My private wing is full of all my favorite things. Back when Ed and I were traveling to art shows, I did a lot of trading and collecting. Also, my mother, sister and brothers were (or are) artists. So my walls are covered with art that means so much to me, including a gorgeous portrait of my husband by my talented artist brother Alex.

Check out my little brother’s art website. He is remarkable, and worked on Broadway sets before he retired to devote his time to painting and creating gorgeous sculptures a few years back.

It’s Wildflower Season!

So, to top off a lovely year, we’ve had much needed rain, and our property and nearby walks are covered in wildflowers. This little bouquet consists of orange globe mallows, which are REALLY doing their thing this year. Most years we see a few of them here and there, but this year they seem to be dominating the roadsides.

Along with sunflowers, of course. My neck of the woods is famous for sunflowers. We even have a sunflower festival coming up this weekend in my adopted hometown of Mountainair.

I am a wildflower addict from way back in 1976, when I first lived in a rural neighborhood near Flagstaff Arizona. Ed and I lived in a little single wide trailer before (and after) we were married and the national forest was our “backyard.” That’s where I first fell in love with western wildflowers, like Indian Paintbrush, which I still adore.

Just out of curiosity, what are your favorite flowers? And do you garden in the summer? What do you grow, veggies, flowers or both?

Yes, I am just being nosy, but I do love to hear from you!

Your Animal Loving Artist,

Merry

Petroglyphs in New Mexico

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I am such a sucker for ancient Native American art. And happily, for me and many others, there is so much of it here in New Mexico.

Last weekend was the perfect opportunity to visit our nearby petroglyphs at the Abo ruins. My “co-grandparents” Bob and Nancy were here from Florida – my daughter-in-law’s folks. Her mom had never been here, and we wanted to show off our enchanted state to best advantage. So a trip to the Pueblo Missions National Monument with the surrounding petroglyphs was high on our list. And only a 25 minutes (under normal circumstances) drive from our home.

But this time, traveling the dirt roads to our destination, we stopped to help a motorist with a flat tire (that’s just what you DO here!) and coincidentally, he happened to be the park ranger who was scheduled to take us on the tour! My son got him up and running again and we all rendezvoused at the ruins.

The skies were typical New Mexican azure blue. The sound track to our hike was a Cicada orchestra in full swing. It was hot and dry – and we were surrounded by mounds that buried and protected what remained of a thriving village from over 500 years ago.

Bob and Nancy were still getting acclimated to our 7,000 ft above sea level environment, but they were real troopers and made it the entire way, to the petroglyphs carved into a rocky outcrop about a mile from where we started.

Despite the ranger’s eloquent description of the petrogyphs, (the meaning of the different symbols, how they resembled rock art from Mexico etc.), I preferred to absorb the beauty of these ancient designs and let them speak to me directly. Especially since no one really knows for sure what the petroglyphs mean…I hold to my own belief. And that is: that they were created for sheer artistic joy. Representations of the beauty these artists saw all around them. And I believe they were speaking directly to anyone who would ever see them. Including our little group, centuries after their creation.

As an artist, I look at all created beauty in a really simple way. The form, color, emotional impact. I love it or maybe it doesn’t speak to me. But these representations, carved by hand into hard rock using simple tools, communicate to me at a very basic level.

What kind of art do you enjoy?

Your Animal Loving Artist,

Merry

Country Chores and Possums

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This is me, repainting our fence on Saturday morning. There’s something so satisfying about doing outside chores. Amazing how slapping a little red paint on a fence can brighten your day and make you feel so productive.

A nice late spring activity. Still cool in the mornings!

But summer is almost here.

I can tell by these 4 things…

1) Hummingbirds gathering outside my window where I used to hang the feeders (I stopped feeding them when the cats moved in my house along with my family in 2021…just too many nests too close to our house – way too tempting for those little huntresses)

2) The soft clicking of the cicadas in the pinon trees (by June this will crescendo into a sound you have to yell over to be heard).

3) Oak trees leafing out in the mountains 15 miles away, turning all the brown patches green.

4) Mosquito larvae in the horse trough (I just read you can use goldfish to control them! My grand kids are already thinking up names for them. The fish, not the larvae)

And because it’s almost mid-year, it’s way past time to get all my new designs up, too. This includes…

Mama Possum and her Babies!

I am a huge possum fan. One of the few disappointing things about life in New Mexico is that Opossums don’t live here.

When I had my semi-tropical yard back in Florida prior to our southwestern move, I witnessed all sorts of semi-urban wildlife antics. Including those of our only native marsupials.

Like that mid-summer afternoon in 2015 when a Mama Possum carrying 8 babies on her back waddled across our yard, barely ahead of a persistent suitor. What was he thinking? She had my sympathy. Babies were clinging on for dear life while lover boy, who seemed oblivious to her state of maternity, remained in hot pursuit. Ed and I cheered her on from our vantage point in the studio. But near the back of the yard they all waddled out of site, so we didn’t see the end result of his misplaced passion.

That incident remained with me, especially the novelty of watching a mama with all those little ones clinging to her back.  

Enter my New Opossum Designs

I’ve wanted to make a mama possum design (with babies) for many years. Early this spring I carved out time to design her at last! And while I was at it, I made a new baby possum (called a “joey,” same name as a baby kangaroo) hanging from his tail. Incidentally, the babies really can hang from their tails when they are very young. I find this charming, and couldn’t resist making yet another “hanging baby possum” design.

Other New Designs in the Wings…

And some of them really do have wings. Like my sterling silver doves, hummingbirds and enamel robins. You’ll see them sometime in the not-to-distant future!

I’ll keep right on rolling out my newest designs. But I’m not going to lie, it may take a while. My son is my photographer, but he’s also running his own business with his wife, being a great dad to 3 young kids, renovating our home, and doing all kinds of extraneous chores.

So it may take another month or two.

But, little by little…

Other news, on a different front

I’ve started teaching my online jewelry making class! A whole new dimension to my life, and super rewarding in a completely different way.

What late spring activities are you up to? I would love to hear from you!

Warm Wishes from Your Animal Loving Artist,

Merry

I Got a Little Carried Away…

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I didn’t mean to upset anyone by my last newsletter…Sometimes I get so excited about new projects that I don’t think about how it sounds to other people! Especially those of you who’ve been loyal friends, customers and fans of my work for many years.

Let me explain-

It’s true I love making animal jewelry. And at this point I don’t think I’ll ever retire. And you are so very appreciated. I could never make a living as an artist without your support!

However…I also love seeing other people create. It’s kind of a dilemma for me.

Besides, I’ve always been a huge believer in the joy that results from creating. This applies to children, young adults, grown ups and even old folks like me.

These designs make me smile!

Just for kicks, here are some designs I made back in the early to mid-1990s:

These bring back memories of those early days creating one-of-a-kind clay pieces. I still have hundreds of old polymer clay designs, by the way. And I still wear them from time to time! And guess what…they continue to get compliments!

Some of you may even own one or two of my colorful polymer clay designs from years past.

Do I still work with polymer clay?

Yes! And every month I still get 1 or 2 requests for custom polymer clay jewelry representing someone’s pet.

Of course, most of my designs are now cast in silver, gold, pewter and bronze. But guess what…every new design STILL begins with a “Merry original” designed in polymer clay. From these original polymer clay models, my current designs are cast.

Animal Jewelry Making 101

To me, there is nothing like the joy of seeing a person’s “inner artist” emerge!

I would absolutely love being part of that happening!

And I am super good at taking things slow and easy, so a student can actually become skilled at making clay designs. I’ll have a couple of classes a month, with time for you to watch and re-watch my videos and practice what I’m teaching before moving on. And of course, I’ll answer all questions in between video lessons. And you can show me what you’ve made, and get advice on your creations.

Not to mention you giving ME advice on how to make my lessons even better. I’d be counting on you for that!

So…For the cost of 2 take-out pizzas or a couple of Chinese dishes from your local restaurant, ($20 a month) I can help you or someone you know, learn to make cool stuff by hand! That could be jewelry, magnets, Christmas ornaments, etc.

A few more thoughts…

And think what can be done with these new skills!

  • Besides all the fun we’ll have, gifts can be created for friends and family, and earrings can be made to match any new outfit.
  • And oh yes, the supplies needed are not expensive. I even know where to go to get things at a great discount online, or you can find them at your local Michael’s or other craft store.

So…What do you think of my idea of teaching others? Do you have any suggestions, or even friends or family who might be interested in learning from me?

I’m still holding a few places open for founding members through Tuesday, May 10th.

If you, or someone you love or know wants to dive in, here is where you can sign up.

I can’t wait to hear from you!

Your Animal Loving Artist,

Merry

The Horny Toads are Back!

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Horny Toads are a Favorite around Here!

One thing I love about living in the New Mexico countryside is all the beautiful, wild critters that share our land. And in my opinion, the horny toad (AKA horned lizard) is one of the most fascinating. This particular little fellow has lived between our house and our small cabin for the past several years. We’ve watched him fill out from year to year.

My granddaughter Annabelle seems to have an especial affinity for him (her?) and always discovers the whereabouts of her little friend come spring.

Are Horned Lizards as Rare as Reported?

Before we moved to New Mexico, I’d heard that this lizard had become rather rare. So finding them living on our property was a real treat. From the little bit of research I’ve done, apparently one of this lizard’s favorite meals consist of ants. In urban areas, people who don’t appreciate the ant population use poison spray to decimate the bugs’ population. And the horny toads, finding mealtime pretty challenging, are forced to move on or starve. That explains why those in more populous parts of the southwest believed these lizards were approaching a dangerously low level of survival.

We have a LOT of ants around, and other bugs as well. Our horned lizards won’t starve. And if they can avoid tangling with our 2 kitties, they should do pretty well.

Yes, I Make Horny Toad Jewelry

Five or six years ago, I was still living in Florida but for some reason I designed a horned lizard! But every time I see a live one now, I want to create another version. There’s just something about seeing the living animal that inspires me all over again.

Fun Horned Lizard Fact

Two species of horned lizards, the Texas and the mountain short-horned horned lizard, have an interesting protective ability. They can actually squirt blood from their eyes when they’re attacked! I imagine that would be quite a surprise to a would-be attacker.

What native wildlife do you have where you live? Even if you’re an urban dweller, I bet you’ve got a population of some interesting native critters. I’d love to know what wild animals you see on your neighborhood walks!

New French Bulldog Designs!

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To me, the French bulldog is one of the cutest dog breeds around. Such personality! Such friskiness! And a French bulldog puppy is almost more cuteness than I can stand. But I decided to be brave, search for an adorable image to use as a model, and force myself to create this little fellow (or could be a gal!)

This little Frenchie is one of many new creations I’ve been busy working on since January. We’ll get around to showing you all of them soon, hopefully within the next month or two!

Creating is just the beginning

After sculpting a new designs, there’s finishing the back, sending it to my caster, waiting to get the newly cast pieces back, and then…

Taking photographs, editing the photographs, writing the copy, and then…

Showing them to YOU!!!

That’s the best part, of course. Because I make these for you. And what you think of my new designs means the world to me! So tell me, (even if you’re not a Frenchie lover), what you think of this one. I would love to know!

By the way, below is my daughter-in-law Diana, who makes a lovely, live-at-home model for most of my designs…

Your Animal Loving Artist,

Merry

Havanese Dog Jewelry, Inspiration from Mollie

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Would you like to hear the back story of my Havanese dog jewelry?

It Starts with Family

I dearly love my sister-in-law. Her name is Susan, and she is my late husband’s sister.

I’ve known her from the beginning of my entrance into the Rosenfield family, from those early awkward moments in the late 1970s when I, a Gentile, took part in their large Jewish family gatherings in Kansas City. Susan was always kind to me, and always welcoming.

She and I watched each other’s children grow to adulthood and have their own children. Back when Ed and I were doing art shows in the 1990s and early 2000s, her cozy home in New York was a base for us, at least once and sometimes twice a year. She and her husband Larry fed us, housed us, and regaled us with funny stories.

And when her only brother, my husband, passed away in December of 2020, Susan spent most of our phone time comforting me. She is just a wonderful human being.

And like all of my favorite people, she is an animal lover. Like me, she has mostly shared her home with cats. But a few years ago, the puppy bug “bit” her hard and she adopted an adorable Havanese that she named Mollie.

Mollie

I Couldn’t Resist!

I haven’t met Mollie in person yet, but from the photos Susan has sent, it’s obvious she’s quite the little character. And crazy cute, in my opinion.

It didn’t take much convincing for me to make a Havanese jewelry design in Mollie’s honor. It would make Susan happy, which would make me happy. And I hope it makes a few of my customers happy as well!

Susan’s Sweet Testimonial:

“I cherish these silver earrings created by Merry in the likeness of Mollie, my much-loved Havanese puppy. Merry is a truly inspired artist with a great heart and eye for all she creates!”

Well, Susan may be a little prejudiced, but that’s OK. ❤️

What’s your Favorite Dog Breed?

So tell me…is there a dog breed you love, and have had a hard time finding in a jewelry design? Let me know…I am doing so much designing these days…there is always a chance your favorite breed could be next!

Your Animal Loving Artist,

Merry

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