An empty metal coffee can, a cookie tin, a shoestring and a good deal of glue are only a few of the things that hold together the recycled art creation, “Puppy Love.” The creators, Linda Berna and Kathy Beavers, took home the blue ribbon for the Recycled Art Contest on Earth Day in the Community Center, who jumped at the idea of repurposing trash into treasure.

“Kathy and I look for creative art opportunities as they present themselves,” Berna said. “My art specialty is mixed media and abstract art and Kathy’s is pastel art and mosaic.”

As the former director of art and environment at the Church of the Ascension, Berna ran a team of artists, including Beavers, who were responsible for beautifying the church sanctuary and parish halls. As friends outside of church, Berna and Beavers have collaborated on other art projects and taken art classes together, but this art contest was personal, especially since it’s the second time they’ve participated.

“We got trashier this year because we learned our lesson,” Berna said, whose glass and metal creation, “Harmony,” was passed over last year for much “trashier” art pieces. Determined to do better, the two dug out junk from their closets and garages and gathered old newspapers to create “Puppy Love,” which took roughly 20 hours to create in Berna’s backyard.

As an animal lover and frequent pet sitter, Berna’s inspiration for “Puppy Love” came from her years grooming her Cavapoo, Shiloh. She also frequents estate and garage sales, consignment shops and the local Goodwill store, where she found a retired stuffed dog and reused its eyes and a small fabric name tag which became the title of the recycled art piece.

“‘Puppy Love’ is pretty catchy, so I used it as her name,” Berna said.

A plastic water bottle was used for the snout and two paper towel cardboard tubes were used for its front legs. And while Shiloh wasn’t the model for “Puppy Love,” they do share quite a resemblance.

“We started from the bottom and glued in layers and layers and layers of newspaper,” Berna said. “I’m a groomer, so I got out my scissors and cut every strand horizontally and every strand vertically. So this dog has had serious grooming.”

Despite its quality, Berna admits it’s the only one like it that they’ve ever created and likely the last.

“I don’t want to feel like I have to go a step better, and secondly and even more important is we already won once,” Linda said. “I would like someone else to have the opportunity.”