Cause for Celebration!

In just a few short days TDIPT Mercantile (not to be confused w/ the ebay group which turned 3 back in October) will be turning 3 years old! It is hard to believe that this much time has passed since our doors opened and we made our debut onto the internet.

To help to show our appreciation to our wonderful customers and our loyal followers, we've celebrated each of our birthdays w/ a giveaway, as we will this year. Some of our artists have created something special to be given away for this special occasion, and we will begin the festivities on the evening of Sunday February 28th at 10 PM ET, which is also when the artists from the 1st of the month will have their new offerings in place on the Merc for your consideration.

We will draw names on March 21st.

How to enter for the drawing?

• Purchase an item from the Mercantile and we will throw your name in the hat for each purchase you make
• If you're on our mailing list to receive our TDIPT Newsletter, you will be entered in to win, so if you're not already receiving it, be sure to sign up on the Merc or on our TDIPT blog.
• If you are a follower of our blog you will be entered in to win. If you don't already follow us, be sure to sign up.

We hope you will join us to celebrate such an important occasion!

I love a PARADE!

Parade of "Prim Eye Candy" that is!

The members of TDIPT have begun their beautiful Parade of Prims on ebay today. I will add mine tonight! Here's just a little peek. To see the rest, you'll have to be watching tonight.

Look for all of the "Birds of a Feather" offerings, beginning today on ebay......and continuing on all through the week. Just type TDIPT into your search, (or click here to get there directly ) and as I've mentioned before....have your drool bib handy. :)

Thanks as always for stopping by!

Counting Down the Days!

The members of TDIPT are having a group launch on ebay!

Our theme is

~Birds of a Feather...Create Together~

The parade begins Feb 21st!

Sneeky Peeky

Here's a lil peek at my offering for Simply Primitives this month. Look for Stu on the 14th or 15th of this month.

As always...thanks for popping in for a visit at the Dogpatch :)

Please consider them......

While you're warm and toasty in your home.

I know I know I know..... it's painful to see these images. No one likes to see them or think about the suffering. I know I don't. I don't look at, or share this image b/c it's easy, pleasant, or enjoyable. I do it b/c I must look at it, and you must too, if you care about helping animals, you must see this in order to know it exists, and to help to make a difference.

I was going to post about the work that the Best Friends Animal Society is doing over in Haiti, but after receving my email from the Michigan Humane Society (AKA the Animal Cops Detroit), and being reminded of the story of "Ice", I felt I needed to post about the countless dogs forced to live tethered outside their entire lives, some without so much as a dog house, and if they are fortunate enough to have a dog house, many do not have straw to keep them from freezing to death in these cold winter months.

Images such as this are disturbing not only to see, but it's even more disturbing to know there are countless animals just like "Ice" (pictured here) who are forced to be out in the cold and not even considered, let alone given shelter, food or water. We must at least consider them if they are ever to be helped.
Ice was one of the lucky ones. Someone saw her and yes, they considered her, therefor she was able to be helped. I know we don't want to know, and I myself am guilty of not wanting to know, and wanting to turn away from these thoughts and images, b/c it's so painful to see, and it hurts my heart to know of the suffering. But these things that bring us the temporary pain can be the very thing that may save an animal from enduring a life of suffering. Sometimes these disturbing images are what promts us to do something, whether it's just to be more aware of an outside dog that we may see when passing by in our warm car, and perhaps it's what make's us make that phone call to the proper authorities, or to make a monetery donation to a rescue, b/c w/out donations, the phone calls would be in vain. These rescues need money in order to have the resources to help animals like Ice.

Ice's story has a VERY HAPPY ENDING,

and that is why I made the decision to post it here. I want you to know that you alone can make a difference. One person, just like you or I made the difference by making a phone call, and b/c of people like you or I, The Animal Cops of Detroit were able to get Ice out of harms way and into the shelter, and eventually into a very , loving home where he is fat, happy, loved and warm, all b/c he was considered!

Please take the time to look and consider, and please check out this video, b/c it will do your heart good to see how far this sweet creature has come. She's livin the good life now! Hallelujah!

Please, if you care about animals, then please just consider them for a moment. If you were that animal, you would want someone to consider you, wouldn't you?

OK, I'm off to make a very small donation. It certainly isn't going to be much, and it alone seems like it won't be of much good, but together w/ all of the other very small donations, it adds up, and yes it does make a difference. It made a difference for Ice and it will make a difference for others just like him.

Hearts for Haiti on the Mercantile

It's no secret that the artists of TDIPT have some of the very biggest hearts. Some of the TDIPT artists wish to help those in Haiti by giving the proceeds from a piece of their work to charity to help aid those in need after this horrible earthquake.

Please be sure to check out the Merc for the very best in handmade folk art and to see how you can Have a Heart for Haiti!

I have 2 pieces up right now, and tomorrow I will be adding my little heart ornie to go for charity. I just could not get the pics today.

Be Mine Valentine Doll

Spring Thyme Rabbit

Hope in our Hearts

It's so hard to imagine the devastation over in Haiti! I've been watching the coverage since the earthquake, and each night I just shake my head b/c it is so difficult to fathom the depth of suffering that so many are now forced to endure. Things just seem to get worse, and it's b/c of the mass devastation. People are helping, we, the United States, and so many other countries are there to help but it just isn't enough. It's so hard to remain hopeful, but we must! I saw today that they pulled a 70 year old woman out of the rubble, and she seems to be OK after a week with no food or water. Yes, I guess we must have hope!

While I was watching the coverage, they were showing how the search dogs go into the rubble, and right in the middle of harms way to alert the rescuers if someone is in there needing to be rescued. They are responsible for saving so many lives. Without them, people in need of help may be overlooked. They go where man can't or won't go unless he knows there is someone in there. It's amazing to me that these creatures, (appropriately titled mans best friend) are so very valuable to us, yet some still regard them only as property and wouldn't even think of letting them in their house.

I want to help in this disaster too, as so many do. I think it's just in our nature to want to help one another when it is needed. With so much overwhelming sorrow, there is some comfort to be found in seeing so many working together to help these victims.

My "Hope in our Hearts" doll is going on ebay tomorrow, and while I would love to give 100% to charity, I cannot at this time, but I do want to donate 50% to a charity. I'm not sure yet what one I'm going to give to. I'm struggling, really struggling with this one. I tend to want to give to the animals first, b/c it seems not enough is ever done for them, but seeing so many people in need over there, it has me wondering if it's the right thing to do in this case, but after seeing these search dogs tonight, it reminded me that without help, these dogs could not be trained, and many are just shelter dogs who would otherwise be put to sleep. I feel strongly there is a need to help the people who make it possible for us to have these wonderfully trained 4 legged helpers, as they have helped the people of Haiti and will continue to help people in future disasters, so I think I'm going to be donating the money to Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in utah. They do so much good for so many, and they sent me an email saying they have been asked by many to go down to Haiti to help, and they will. They never put an animal down and they work feverishly to rehabilate an animal, even if it takes years, and yes, some of them have gone on to be therapy or working dogs!

I don't know if Ebay's Missionfish offers that charity, but I will give it more thought, and find one that I feel comfortable with, but rest assured, that helping the animals, is helping the people in the long run.