Wreaths | Find an Outlet

Janice and Vinnie, a pitbull from the pound. Vinnie had scars all over his body, but he just wants lovin' as you can see. He has a great home now where no one will ever hurt him again. Pitbulls are like all dogs---they want love and companionship.

Janice is my friend and animal-rescue partner in crime (we keep it as legal as allowable by our own laws). She specializes in pitbulls and is an expert dog trainer. We both landed in Bisbee around the same time and met while volunteering. We worked the pound together for a couple years until we couldn’t take it anymore and suffered simultaneous meltdowns. We’ve gone halves on a lot of heartbreak, but bliss too. Animal rescue is extremely emotional and there is an enormous amount of infighting. The volunteers can be as feral as the animals we’re trying to protect. But you have to be obsessive to get it done—passion equals progress. ( https://findanoutlet.wordpress.com/2010/07/24/passionately-provoked-2/ )

We made these wreaths to raise a little cash to help us offset some of our expenses. We started too late in the year though, and we’re busy, and excuses excuses—we didn’t plan this project out very well. We’ve vowed to start earlier next year, build up an inventory, and put some effort into marketing. We want to be able to ship the wreaths as well as sell them locally, make custom-themed wreaths, take orders, etc.

We combed thrift shops for inexpensive and/or unusual decorations and I asked my housecleaning customers if they maybe had a little something to donate. We also bought some ornaments new because it’s simply not possible to ignore the glittering holiday buffets offered in discount stores when your brain is exploding with ideas. I may not celebrate Christmas but I loved making these wreaths.

As any crafter (or artist, or writer) knows, the need to physically construct your visualization becomes an obsession. Patterns, designs, and whorls of color gyrate in the space behind your eyes in a private kaleidoscopic spectacle. These handcrafted, lovingly-created wreaths are priced around $50. The wreaths are not made with live greens, so if you take care of them they should last forever. Please write me with questions, comments, or feedback. I’m not very good at marketing.