DIY: Silhouette Pet Portraits Round-Up

                                

(via SilhouetteArt)

A reader asked about tutorials for making silhouette pet portraits, so here you go!  You can do this for any pet, so don’t limit yourself to cats and dogs.  A budgie portrait would be really cute!

The video shows 2 techniques—a higher tech version that uses Adobe Illustrator & a robot cutter and lower tech version that uses tracing paper.

 

Here’s a second tutorial on how to make another version of a silhouette plaque.  Just use your pet’s portrait instead.

 

More ideas on ways to use pet silhouettes from Martha Stewart.  I think the suggestion to have a custom rubber stamp made of your pet’s silhouette is a great idea.  It would also make a nice gift for a pet lover.

 

I love this tote bag tutorial—it’d make a cute pillow too!  I think I’d sew the silhouette rather than glue it though.

 

Larger scale pet silhouettes made from plywood are a unique application.  You’ll need a jigsaw, router, or something similar for this project.

 

This two-toned silhouette portrait is lovely.  You can use all sorts of colors and patterns to create something really nifty!

 

An appliquéd onsey or t-shirt is pretty cute.

Wag.com Amazon’s New Pet E-Commerce Site

Amazon now has a dedicated site for pet products—Wag.com.  I wonder if this will have an effect on the specialty pet sites (like PetExpertise.com) I like for finding progressive training tools and books.  I hope it means more people will have accesses to quality foods, tools, and information!

(Note: I’m not connected in any way to either site, other than having ordered products from PetExpertise and Amazon.)

Animal Rescuer Wins Against IRS

Jan Van Dusen, who has fostered over 70 cats, went up against the IRS and won. Good news for animal rescue groups all over the U.S.  Van Dusen had deducted expenses she had incurred while fostering cats for an IRS- approved charity.  The ruling will make it easier for volunteers to help animal rescue groups.  Yea!

Check out the article to learn more and keep your receipts for next year’s taxes, if you’re fostering or providing some other service.

Paws for Japan

Paws for Japan

Spread the word about Paws for Japan happening today.  Be the Change for Pets is working to raise funds for World Vets, who is on the ground in Japan and is already assisting Japanese animal welfare groups.  You can make a donation here.

And Pawcurious has organized a bunch of online business who are donating proceeds from today to World Vets. Check out the post to see the businesses participating, and don’t miss the Blog Hop below it where there are more business listed among the blogs promoting the event. For example, Yarntini is having a raffle of yarn & fabric and the professional pet photographer, Poochie Freak Photography, is having a greeting card auction.

Emergency Preparedness Video

Animals in Emergencies is an excellent video produced by the U.S. Army and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.  There’s a wealth of easily accessible information covered—check it out!

http://youtu.be/dgSE-HwUMtM