MidnightRabbits Vegan World

My beautiful Maggie died in her sleep last night.

2011-08-29T11:47:00.000+01:00

She was a gorgeous, sweet little dog. Cuter than cute. She loved to twirl around chasing her tail, and seemed to do that to entertain us, the more we laughed, the more she did it, with a big smile.
I found her at a rescue place,she had been cruelly treated. She stole my heart, and I just had to take her home. She loved being with me. She had her own settee. She made her own den, under the table, on a big cushion, where she would stash away bits of biscuits, or any odd things she would find. Whenever I cleaned out, her 'den', she had quite a collection. She always seemed happy. Everyone thought she was cute, and beautiful, and did I say cute! so cute! She started going grey with old age. She lost some of her teeth. She developed a thyroid problem, and was a bit overweight, but all in all she was her usual perky, chirpy self. She ate her supper as usual Saturday night. She seemed fine. we went to bed. Sunday morning I went downstairs, and there she was in her bed. But she didn't look up. She was dead. I guess the old cliche, that it's the best way to go, without suffering, in your own bed, just pass away during the night, hopefully, peacefully, as she slept. But it's hard being without her. I miss her. I miss her little bark, when she wanted attention. And her running around my legs when she knew she was getting a treat. And her snoring - she snored very loudly, it was reassuring to hear her snore in the night. She was a darling, and I miss her so. God bless you, sweet Maggie. Rest in Peace.

Redley gets busy.

2011-04-04T11:58:00.001+01:00

Our darling little boy is busy. Every day he's learning new things and trying new things. I love to watch his amazed face as he discovers yet another amazing (to him) object that we take for granted.
His latest discovery is the cats. They long ago discovered him, with a sniff and a careful look. Now Redley has discovered them! I've been holding him near the cats so that he can get used to them slowly. And very bravely yesterday he put out his hand and brushed it past Billy. Redley looked surprised but intrigued as to what was this furry thing - another cuddly toy? a tiger? He slowly put his hand on top of Billy's head and rested it there. Firstly Billy walked away, then he came back and sat back down in the same place, so Redley could plonk his hand there again. Billy looked a bit bemused - the cats know he's not dangerous to them :) Redley looked pleased with his new discovery. We laughed and hugged them both. Redley has made friends with Billy!

Finally - more photos of Redley!

2011-03-20T15:50:00.000Z

My camera broke around Christmastime, and I took a while to get another one. the new one isn't too good, or maybe I'm not too good at taking photos (probably more like it!), so many of the photos I've taken are blurry. I really must learn more about my camera, after all, it's not a complicated one - Kodak easyshare M530, it's a cute little black and red camera, and I'm sure I can get better results with a bit more patience!
Redley is 5 months old now, how time flies. He is making up his own words, which he uses for good (he likes something) or not good (when he doesn't like something), and we've kinda heard him say other words which we recognise, but he doesn't repeat them to order! no, Redley is quite strong willed, and knows what he wants. Generally he's a very happy little chappy, and his smile will melt the hardest hearts :) I love coming home to see 'my boy', and watch his face light up as I walk in the room. Any stress of the day just melts away with a big hug :)

Redley on his playmat, looking very jolly and having fun!

Here he is having 'tummy time' which encourages him to build up the muscles needed for crawling, he's very eager to get going!

Here's my little model, in a bandanna bib and hat that I made for him, I intend to make matching sets, these were the first I made, and they fit nicely, now all I need is the time and space to start production!

Teething time is not a fun time for poor little babies!

2011-02-27T18:40:00.000Z

Little Redley is starting to teeth. No sign of the little white teeth sticking up yet, but his gums are changing, and he drools a lot.
He likes to press his gums on my finger. He chews his own fingers a lot.
We bought him Sophie the giraffe teething toy. It is made from 100% pure natural rubber. It has a variety of textures for teething on, and is easy to hold. redley hasn't quite got the hang of holding it in his mouth yet, but he's learning. Hopefully soon he will get the gang of it, and it will help ease his painful gums.

Redley meets Redstart.

2010-10-31T17:44:00.003Z

I have made some wonderful friends since joining Etsy. One of them is very dear to me. Annette of Dragon House of Yuen is a wonderful person and animal advocate.
Redley received a lovely parcel in the post. we carefully opened it to find a beautiful baby hare sculpture called Redstart. Redstart arrived with a little story card, and a lovely card. Redstart was a wonderful gift from lovely Annette. Redstart is very well made, and very precious.

When redley is old enough to appreciate Redstart, i know he'll be truly delighted with him.
Here we see Redstart, quietly slide up to Redley and introduce himself. Redley is surprised and delighted.

Redstart takes a closer look.

Redley realises Redstart is his for keeps, and he holds him close, and is everso pleased to meet his new friend.
I have to explain to Redley that Redstart is very delicate, and not a toy, so reluctantly, Redley lets me take Redstart away from him. I promise Redley that redstart will be nearby, watching over him, and occasionally sharing a joke or two, and keeping up to date with the goings on.

Redstart takes his place on Redleys shelf, with his cards. Where he can survey all around the room, and keep an eye on Redley, and send him good wishes. Redstart is a very welcome addition to our family, and I know both redstart and redley will have lots of fun for many years to come.

For lots more delightful creations from Annette, check out her etsy shop: DragonHouseofYuen and have a read of Annette's blog, for an interesting and insightful read, with some adorable pictures.
Annette has kindly donated a hare sculpture to the Buckeye House Rabbit Society, which rescues abandoned rabbits and educated the public about rabbit welfare. Hop on over to their website for a chance to win some fabulous prizes in their annual raffle!

Many, many thanks to Annette for sending Redstart our way, he will be treasured and well looked after.

Introducing Redley to the world. A wonderful example of a perfect vegan baby.

2010-10-29T17:43:00.002+01:00

Our darling baby Redley was born at 33 weeks. 7 weeks too early. Luckily he weighed 223.0g (4lb 15oz), and was already measuring a week bigger than his age. this gave him a good start. The hospital ordeal was over in 3 weeks, and he had his release letter! here he is all dressed up ready to have his first trip to the outside world.
He's been home nearly a week, and is thriving. he's gained lots of weight, and is very content. Our vegan diet is very good for him.

He's being breast fed, as this is the most natural and best way to feed babies. No nasty formula for our sweet Redley!
here he is sleeping in his cot, in his favourite hedgehog sleepsuit, (well, our favourite really!). He loves me to sing to him, and I make up lots of songs, about anything and everything - I've learned to sing the alphabet - a is for apple, b is for boat etc oh how my life has changed :)

Here Redley is chilling out, wearing green stripes. Green stripes seem to suit him too, and he's got a couple of sleepsuits in this pattern, no doubt he'll have some more now that we have discovered how good he looks! Of course we are biased when we think our darling Redley looks gorgeous, what proud mums wouldn't be! We love him to bits!

King of the jungle.

2010-09-04T22:45:00.000+01:00

The latest pair of baby booties. A friend is having a baby, and doesn't know whether it's going to be a boy or girl, so I wanted to make a gender neutral pair of booties. They baby has a jungle themed nursery awaiting it's arrival, so I though a pair of lion booties would fit in perfectly. this time they are made from felt that is made from recycled plastic bottles - eco-fi Kunin craft felt. I love this idea of recycling plastic bottles this way.

The little Princes' shoes.

2010-08-01T18:30:00.001+01:00


mmmm Bakewell Tart!

I have just finishing making Redley his second pair of booties.
They look delicious.
They remind me of a Bakewell Tart, and I could just eat them!

I wanted to make a pair of booties that were fit for a Prince.
I started with white acrylic felt, just because it was the nearest to hand. Decided to add a couple of bluebirds to each bootie and decorate them with freestyle beads.

Of course Ruby had to inspect them. I think they have her approval!

Best tasting strawberries ever!

2010-07-13T13:43:00.000+01:00

It's strawberry time in the UK, and I love strawberries. However, it's always a bit of a hit or miss with taste. Sometimes they taste "waxy", soemtimes they can be quite tasteless, other times tart, when all I really want and love is fresh, juicy, sweet strawberries. At last I've found the perfect tasting strawberries. They are produced by Good Natured Fruit.

Good Natured Fruit are produced in Scotland. They are pesticide free. They are produced by a group of growers that have joined together and grow fruit, veg, salad and herbs under the innovative growing system developed by the Scottish fruit growers - Angus Lochy Porter, his father Willie Porter and cousin James Gray. They wanted to develop fruit that didn't use pesticides, that relied on biological pest control - letting ladybugs eat green fly for instance. They result is a delicious strawberry tasting strawberry, and other fuit and veg that taste exactly how you want them to taste, and how they should be.
Look out for these goods in main supermarkets, and grab them while they are in season. Once you've discovered the real taste of these delicious fruit, or indeed any of the other Good Natured products, you've want another make again!

The cutest little baby booties.

2010-07-13T13:26:00.000+01:00

I've just finished making my first pair of baby booties, and I love them!

They're made from arylic felt, and acrylic pom-poms. they are entirely hand stitched. Of course being made of acrylic, they're vegan suitable.
I got the pattern by doing a google search, from the site "Hello, my name is heather" which is an interesting blog, with a link to the pattern for the booties, and a link to the Heather Bailey Store that sells fabric and patterns and more.
Now that I've tried the pattern out and I'm happy with the result, I can feel a creative time ahead, and a whole load of handmade booties!

S.O.S. Thrift shop to help marine life affecting by the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

2010-07-06T22:34:00.000+01:00

A chance to help the Gulf Rescue Campaign. and grab yourself a cute bargain too. The S.O.S thrift shop has been set up to raise funds for The Sea Shepherd.

http://sosthrift.blogspot.com/

The Sea Shepherd are busy cleaning up after the oil spill in the Gulf of mexico, they need your help, please donate whatever you can to help their rescue.

Sea Shepherd's Mission Statement

Established in 1977, Sea Shepherd Conservation Society (SSCS) is an international non-profit, marine wildlife conservation organization. Our mission is to end the destruction of habitat and slaughter of wildlife in the world's oceans in order to conserve and protect ecosystems and species.

Sea Shepherd uses innovative direct-action tactics to investigate, document, and take action when necessary to expose and confront illegal activities on the high seas. By safeguarding the biodiversity of our delicately-balanced ocean ecosystems, Sea Shepherd works to ensure their survival for future generations.

Enjoying the hot weather? Cats know how to chill..........

2010-06-29T12:33:00.001+01:00

The UK is enjoying a wonderful hot spell. While we all rush out and feel the need to go places, often sitting in our car for a long time to get there, our cats take it easy in the garden.

Billy rested under the tree shade on a "lookout perch" I put up recently, they like the higher view.

Pinkie however, likes to lounge on the rotary washing line. So much for clean clothes eh? And how on earth is that comfortable? She hangs her belly through the line, and lazes for hours. In a cat world it must be more comfortable and we perceive it to be!

And Ruby likes nothing better than to play, whatever the weather. Here she balances on a piece of wood, she's such a delicate little one.

All in all they relax, take it easy and generally have a fine life.

And us, we work, we shop, we clean, we rush around, we try to squeeze in a little bit of 'r n r', when we can.
There are days when I would happily swap places with a well cared for cat!

New brooches in the making!

2010-05-03T16:13:00.000+01:00

I've started work on some new brooches, that I want to donate to the next round of Vegan Sample Bags .

All the Vegan Craft Sample Bags have currently sold out, so it's time to get working for the next ones. never a quiet moment :)

Ruby Wears Bling.

2010-03-28T15:44:00.001+01:00

As Ruby slept peacefully, I just couldn't resist placing 2 bling buttons on her head. How cute she looks!

For more funny 'stuff on cats' check out this site.

Free MOO Cards

2010-03-24T10:34:00.002Z

I have been wanting to order some MOO cards for quite some time, but not got around to it. Buying business cards can be quite daunting, what if you don't like them, what can you afford, what if you can't afford what you like, do you compromise, do you wait and so on. Then, I came accross this Etsy article update about FREE MOO BUSINESS CARDS. So I immediately went to check it out.
The MOO website is easy to navigate, simple enough to understand, and lets you try different deigns and wording before you buy. Although free makes that all the more affordable (hehehe). You still have to pay postage, hey, that's really not bad- UK postage £3 for a set of 50 cards. You can select phots from your flickr account or Etsy Shop if you have one, or even upload a competely different design just for your Business Cards.

Here is a peek at mine:

The free cards have a logo at the bottom advertising Etsy and MOO cards.
I'm happy with the quality, I chose the recycled option, and a selection of items from my Etsy Shop Veganessa. It's a good chance to see what works and what could have been done better without laying out a lot of money. It's given me something to think about for my next order from MOO cards. And I'll certainly be ordering from them again. By the way, when you order your free cards, there's an option to 'bank' money with them for your next order, and double it, for example, 'bank' £5 and get £10 towards your next order. A very good sales technique, it got me hooked!
Follow this link to get your free MOO Business Cards.

I Love You Phillip Morris

2010-03-12T18:09:00.001Z

Courtesy of SeeFilmFirst, I went along to the cinema to view 'I Love You Phillip Morris'.
I decided not to read about the film first, as sometimes knowing too much about a film can spoil it when you see it. Wise move. The film states that it is based on a true story, and it may very well be, as a google search will show.
Jim Carrey is not my favourite actor, but Ewan McGregor is so watchable, I gave it a go. To my pleasant surprise, the film was very entertaining. Jim carrey, as you would expect is very OTT, but fits the part well, the gorgeous Ewan Mcgregor is sweet. The story is interesting and full of surprises, enough to keep you watching. There are funny bits (lots of them), and tender bits, oh and some 'Oh My Gosh' bits :) - since I didn't know what the film was about.
The film rolls easily along, with plenty of interesting bits to keep you focused on it. Steve Russell (Jim Carrey's Character), is a very inventive con man, and it's hard not to like him, which I guess is why successful con men are successful. The prison sentences he received are so utterly ridiculously long for the crime. He never hurt an individual, he targetted businesses that could easly afford the losses. He could have killed someone and got away with less! (so to speak).
Altogether entertaining, and I'm glad I went to see it.

A Day Out at the Beach.

2010-02-24T14:54:00.000Z

Britain is not sunny very often, so when the sun does come out, we have to make the most of it. Today the sun was out. We gathered our dogs and head for the beach. It started to rain on the way, but we carried on. By the time we got there, it was sunny again. Dogs are allowed on the beach until the end of April. So no surprise that most people on the beach had dogs with them. It was a lovely walk, and the dogs played fetch (the stick), said "hello" to lots of other dogs, it stayed bright, and it was not too cold.

Days like this are good for the soul.

Meet George and Harry

2010-02-15T22:51:00.001Z

My very good friend Jane has just adopted two siamese cats - brothers. They're 3 years old, and practically identical. Their original mom died, and they went to a foster home, and through the Siamese Rescue, the lucky boys have a lovely new home. They have settled in well. Of course I couldn't wait to meet them, and I took my camera along:

The sock monkey was a gift for Jane, but I though it would look cute with George and Harry. And next time I visit the boys, I will take them a catnip toy- - promise!

The Hare Preservation Trust

2010-02-13T11:41:00.000Z

My wonderful online friend annette of Dragon House of Yuen does wonderful work to help rabbits and hares all over the world. She is a volunteer at The Hare Preservation Trust and I have recently made some hare brooches to be sold on their site with 20% of the proceeds going to HPT. There are splendid items for sale in their shop all helping to raise much needed funds for HPT. The HPT has a website with information on hares and you can subscribe for their newsletter. They raise awareness of hares through the media and education. They lobby parliament to increase the legal protectin of hares and to ensure current legislation is enforced. They work with other wildlife groups. this is just an example of the good works they do. Why not check out their website for further information, and take a look at their Blog , it's fun and informative and there are some adorable photos. Hares need help to protect them in their natural habitat, we can make a difference.

These are the two booches that I made for The Hare Preservation Trust and can be bought in their shop.

Making the most of a sunny day.

2010-01-28T17:24:00.008Z

With the weather being quite unpredictable lately, we were glad to have a sunny Sunday. What better excuse to take the dogs to the park and enjoy the fresh air!
We all has a lovely time and felt so much better for it.

VegiDeli Organic Brussels Style Pate

2010-01-18T18:44:00.002Z

A vegan alternative to Pork Liver Pate.
I must say, I was a bit hessitant to try this, as I don't like fake meats that are too realistic (meaty), kinda scary. But as I've not seen this pate before, I thought I'd give it a try. Made some toast, buttered it, which I don't know if one would butter toast to spread pate on, or if one should just have the pate on toast, but I fancied mine buttered!
The pate spread quite thickly, which I guess is what it's supposed to do, after all it is a pate copy not a paste.
The taste, hmmmm, well, the taste was meaty. scarily meaty. I can't say I liked it. It left a fatty meaty aftertaste in my mouth. I suppose that if you like the taste of meat but don't want to eat it, or if you want to give your meat eating friends something vegan without them moaning they've not got meat, then this would be a good product to use. I can't remember ever having pate (pre vegan days), so I looked it up on the web, to see what brussels pate contains, the ingedients varied but the overall idea is pork liver, pork fat, some had chicken liver too.
here's a typlical ingredients list:
Pork Liver (35%), Pork Fat, Pork (17%), Cows' Milk, Water, Preservatives (Sodium Lactate, Sodium Nitrite), Salt, Onion, Pasteurised Whole Egg, Milk Protein (From Cows' Milk), Spices (Celery), Emulsifier (Mono- and Diglycerides of Fatty Acids), Dextrose, Antioxidant (Ascorbic Acid).

nutrient	per 100g
Energy kCal	390	kCal
Energy kJ	1,612	kJ
Protein	10.6	g
Carbohydrate	1.1	g
of which sugars	1.1	g
Fat	38.2	g
of which saturates	16.6	g
Fibre	Trace
Sodium	0.7	g
Salt	1.8	g

compared to :

Organic ham style pieces, water*, sunflower oil, textured soya protein, tofu, wheat starch & protein, yeast extracts*, sugar, onion powder, salt*, carrageenan* & locust bean gum, herbs & spices, iron oxide*

Energy:	1143.90kJ / 273.40kcal
Protein:	15.20g
Carbohydrate:	8.00g
(of which sugars)	1.80g
Fat:	20.40g
(of which saturates)	3.90g
Fibre	1.30g
Sodium	0.88g
Calcium	0.00mg

Both high in fat content, but there is a difference (if fat content counts for you), the vegan option has about half the fat compared the the animal one. Also the vegan pate has higher protein content. so hey, when someone asks the silly question "were do vegans get their protein?" - well from vegan brussels pate of course!!!!!!!!!!

Ta-Daa! the collection of Vegan Samples for the Valentine's Day Bags!

2010-01-03T17:46:00.000Z

So here they are. Phew, what a crafting marathon!
I have finally finished my donations to the Vegan Craft Sample Bags.
I've made an assortment of brooches - cats and rabbits, with an embellishment saying 'vegan' and hearts. Look fab, and spread love and veganism wherever you go! And some tissue holders, that are a nice touch - next time someone needs a tissue, offer them one from your tissue holder, and display a 'vegan embellishment', advertising, veganism and cuteness in one. They're bound to be impressed and it's a good way to start a conversation about veganism.
All made from acrylic felt, with various decorations. Why not order a Vegan Craft Sample Bag and you may be lucky enough to have one of these handmade goodies.
There will also be similar items for sale in my Etsy shops: Midnightrabbits and Veganessa, should you wish to purchase some/one on it's own.

The latest cuties from MidnightRabbits - it's rabbit brooches!!!!

2010-01-03T16:44:00.000Z

Continuing my Vegan Sample Bag donations,
these cure rabbit brooches are decorated with vegan wording and flower print. Made from acrylic felt, what better way to show off being vegan. Thesevegan rabbit brooches would look good on a bag, a garment or anywhere you care to display it.
As with all my samples to the Vegan Sample Bags, ther will also be similar item, for purchase, on my Etsy sites: MidnightRabbits and Veganessa.

Valentine's brooches for the Vegan Sample Bags

2010-01-01T23:54:00.000Z

My latest creations for the Valentine's Vegan Craft Sample Bags.
I decided to make some heart brooches, since it's for Valentine's, they turned out really pretty. I really like working with heart shapes. I might get chance to make some more, or some more cat brooches, before it's time to post off to Heather for the VeganCraft Sample Bags.
Wonder how everyone else's donations are coming along?

Meet the cat gang!

2009-12-29T22:51:00.002Z

I've been busy making samples for the Valentine's Vegan Sample Bags and these are the cuties I've made so far. They're handmade (and vegan suitable - of course) cat brooches. That is - brooches of cats not for cats- (ah-hmm). Each of them made with TLC.
The brooches are made from acrylic felt.
I missed the deadline for the current Sample Bags , but I'm getting ready for the Valentine's Sample Bags. These should be awesome - I love hearts and kisses, and pink and cute. Can't wait.

You can check out the current contributors for the January 2010 bags here.
Everything in the bags has been made by very creative, talented crafters and artists. Everything is suitable for Vegans and non- vegans alike - just because you may not be vegan, you can still give it a go, you'll be very pleasantly surprised - us vegans can be pretty talented! Or why not treat a veggie/vegan friend, they'll be delighted that you thought of them, and doubly delighted with the contents of the bags.
If you happen to be a crafter/artist who makes vegan items, and would like to know more about contributing to the bags, click here.

100% of the profits from the sale of the bags go to an animal sanctuary, which is voted for on their blog .

I'll also be selling brooches like these in my Etsy shop MidnightRabbits , where 100% of the sale of every item is donated to the Etsy for Animals charity of the month.

And my shop Veganessa will have something similar, that I haven't quite worked out yet!

Next time you are in Wales.................

2009-12-27T17:23:00.002Z

This free booklet and Internet guide 'EAT OUT VEGAN WALES' is a must have for vegans in Wales or a Vegan visiting Wales. Areas are listed alphabetically, and it's a big help for vegan eating in the smaller towns of Wales , where one may otherwise not have known where on earth to find vegan food. It's nice to know, cafes and restaurants are being added regularly, and listings amended when establishments are less than vegan friendly.
I will be doing a review of places I come across or have tried, many whom have been found in this guide. Put together by a friendly bunch, Tim and Paul and others? (don't know who else), who are enthusiastic, fantastic vegans. It's worth getting on their email list, as they sometimes arrange a get together for a vegan meal, which has always been a lovely evening out, and a real bonus to sit amongst vegans, and know that animal products are not going to be on the table. An essential information guide for veggies in Wales.

Vegan Resource Sites

2009-12-27T12:18:00.000Z

Anyone looking for vegan information will sooner or later come across
The Vegan Society. The website if full of information on subjects such as the History of the Vegan Society, Nutrition, Lifestyle, Faith, News and Events, Shopping and a whole lot more.
It states "Veganism is a way of living that seeks to exclude, as far as possible and practicable, all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing and any other purpose."
Another useful website is The Vegan Village , with a useful noticeboard, groups and forums, shopping and services, health, charities etc.
Here's the link for a list of animal ingredients to look out for: http://www.happycow.net/health-animal-ingredients.html
and an interesting site that lists foods that are 'accidentally vegan' - I can't believe it's vegan!, which lists American products that just happen to be vegan suitable, but were not made to intentionally be vegan. Cool eh? Wish there was a UK site like that, maybe there is......
PETA has a whole load of information about being vegan, it's a very useful site. I find the American site has more information than the UK site, but it's all good.
To Happy Vegans is an interesting and informative site from written by two women Mitsu and Sasha, about all things vegan. Well worth a read.
Another fab read is The Vegan Family House Blog , which has some interesting recipes and information. Including the link to these white chocolate buttons which are a vegan godsend to chocoholics and can be bought from Goodness Direct if your local health food shop or supermarket does not stock them.

Meet the Gang

2009-12-10T18:58:00.000Z

I needed a little bit of distraction from the negativity of late, so I dug out my camera and decided to take some photos of my latest creations - sock monkeys! I had fun posing them, it doesn't take much to keep me amused. I really like making sock creatures, as they take on their own personalities as they become complete. I have listed these in my Folksy store, which is the UK's version of Etsy. After a lot of thought I'm going to close my etsy store when the listings expire, and give Folksy a go. I made some wonderful 'cyber friends' on Etsy and hope to continue their acquantances. I'll certainly still be shopping there, and supporting 'Handmade'. I just got to the point where I found it too competitive and BIG. A bit like Ebay, and unless you really got at it all the time, listing, renewing, promoting, etc you get nowhere. I'm not saying Folksy will be any easier or better, but i'll give it a go.

Just when we thought the worst stuff was over.....................

2009-12-10T18:40:00.004Z

Just when we thought things couldn't get any worse, it did. Oh yes, not only has the Grim Reaper been shadowing us for far too long lately, but so have the local yobs. This morning while leaving the house to go to the hospital we noticed that our car had been broken into. Great, Unbelievable, WTF!!!!!! 'They' had managed to lever the door open (crowbar? - whatever!), and then ripped the radio out, which was not a portable/removable radio but was fitted into the car. It's not worth much, but of course the damage to the door is. Yes it's insured, but with an excess of £150 and losing the 'no claims bonus', the only option to get the car fixed, but not really a good option at all. A tow away truck came and hauled it away, we waved bye to it, and said ' see ya in a few days'. Apparently, it looks like the radio was stolen to order, as nothing else was disturbed or taken from the car. We reported it to our less than helpful local police. Really, the woman on the front desk at the reception kept rolling her eyes, and just couldn't be bothered with the paperwork. When we walked in to the Police station she was having a lovely chat (read that as flirt) with another copper, so we probably disturbed her chat up, very sorry luv, but you're there to work! and believe me I wouldn't be there out of choice.
So that was today, now what's that song - "things can only get better".....!!!!!!!!!!

Our Dear Sweet Molly was laid to rest.

2009-12-07T11:46:00.000Z

My beautiful little girl Molly has died. Just when we thought things could not get any sadder, Molly became ill. She was having trouble with her back legs giving way now and again, for quite a while. We worked around this, I held her up to eat, and placed a bowl upside down under her dish so she wouldn't have to lean forward to eat. We walked less distance, but still went out. We talked about one day, she would need a 'trolly thing' to help her get around. If she showed signs of being too tired while we were out, we carried her. She seemed to like this, and always looked pleased at being carried, we said she looked like the queen!
Last Tuesday I was working a late shift, so was able to take them (my 3 sweet girls), over the park in the morning. She was a bit wobbly and slow, but I'm used to that. A short walk did us all good and she seemed to enjoy it. The next day she was unable to lift herself up at all. her front legs had gone stiff, she was unable to eat. The next couple of days we tried spoon feeding her, syringing water into her mouth, constantly changing her bedding as she was totally incontinent. She could not get up. Her eyes looked frightened and distressed. We knew the end was near. We spent time with her comforting her. She gave up eating, she couldn't even lick liquid food off the spoon. When we tried to syringe water into her mouth, she struggled, and really hardly any water went in. Finally on Saturday we took her to the vets. We have been going to our vets for years and she is a good vet. She explained that the stiffening of the front legs, and given her history, it was indicative of either tumour on the spine or a blood clot, and that it was spreading quickly. The kindest thing to do was euthanasia. We had to let her go. I had to sign the consent form, which was signing her death certificate, which no matter how it's justified by being the 'kindest thing to do, to end suffering' it's still signing to end her life. the end was quick and peaceful. It took a few seconds and she was gone. We smoothed her and cried, we said goodbye to her. Our dear sweet Molly is gone from us. She was beautiful, and a really sweet natured dog. She would always run up to any other dogs in the park, and want to be their friends. We always had to keep an eye on her in case she spied another dog and went wandering over to them. People always commented on how pretty she was, and how unusual her coat was. I gave her a home from a local rescue centre. She was eight years old then, and lived another eight years with me. That's about 90 in human terms of years. She loved us, and we loved her. the house seems emptier and quieter now, and we miss her dearly. Rest in Peace Molly, my dear, sweet, beautiful girl.

Just monkeying around!

2009-11-28T14:51:00.000Z

I've made another sock monkey. This one is for a friends birthday. We're going to her party later today. I think she will like 'pink' as she's quite feminine. I added the wooden heart shaped pendant, that can be taken off Princess Sock Monkey and worn. Like an extra present!

International Day to Mark Support to End Violence Against Women.

2009-11-21T13:41:00.001Z

The 25th November is International Anti Violence Against Women's Day, or White Ribbon Day.
The UK has started a UK branch of a Global White Ribbon campaign which is led by men, tackling the issue of violence from men against women.

While some men are part of the problem, all men can be part of the solution!

Say NO – UNiTE to End Violence against Women is a global call for action, launched in November 2009, on ending violence against women and girls. It is presented by UNIFEM as a contribution to advance the objectives of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s campaign UNiTE to End Violence against Women through social mobilization. UNIFEM Goodwill Ambassador Nicole Kidman is the Spokesperson of Say NO.

Based on country data available, up to 70 per cent of women experience physical or sexual violence from men in their life-time. It happens everywhere – at home and at work, on the streets and in schools, during peacetime and in conflict. Violence against women and girls has far- reaching consequences, harming families and communities, stunting human development, and undermining economic growth. Everyone has a role to play in combating this global pandemic; the time to act together is NOW.
Say NO aims to trigger and highlight actions by individuals, governments and civil society partners. Actions can range from reaching out to students at schools, to volunteering at local shelters, advocating for legislation or donating funds towards programmes that protect women and girls from violence. Every action will be counted to showcase the global groundswell of engagement that exists on the issue. The initial target is to reach 100,000 actions by March 2010 and 1 million actions in one year.
Say NO builds upon the momentum generated during its first phase when 5,066,549 people signed on to a global call to make ending violence against women a top priority worldwide. Heads of States and Ministers from 69 Governments and more than 600 Parliamentarians have added their names to Say NO since then.
Working through traditional as well as online networks and social media, Say NO will engage participants from all walks of life. A range of web-based and other tools available on saynotoviolence.org will support partners in their advocacy efforts, highlight their work to a global audience and inspire others.
In line with the Secretary-General’s campaign framework that calls for an increase in funding for the multi-lateral UN Trust Fund in Support of Actions to Eliminate Violence against Women, Say NO encourages donations for the UN Trust Fund, which supports local and national programmes catalyzing change on the ground.
Say NO - UNiTE to End Violence against Women is an expanding global coalition of individuals, organizations, governments and the private sector to realize a vision that is ambitious, but must never be impossible – a future that is free from violence against women and girls. Let us count you in – take action to end violence against women now.

No More!

2009-11-09T11:49:00.003Z

Not as clear as I would like, but click on it, to see clearly.

It's All In The Bag

2009-11-08T13:05:00.003Z

Somtimes you come across other sites or info that you just want to share!

2009-11-08T12:51:00.005Z

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_uZxbBIhJYE this is cool! well done heather!

Also if anyone in London or san francisco is looking for a job helping animals, check out these: http://www.ad-international.org/work_with_adi/go.php?si=102

Sock Monkeys - they're fun!

2009-11-01T16:19:00.010Z

I recently made my very first Sock Monkey. I have been thinking about it for a while, and finally got around to doing one. It took quite a while to make. I love it. It seems to have it's very own personality. The cats are a bit freaked by it. They nervously looked at it, and just couldn't relax around it, until Ruby decided to attack it!
Now I want a name for my sock monkey. So I'll be holding a contest to find the best name for it.
Check out this blog over the next week, for details of the contest, and who knows, you may win a sock monkey of your own!

My dear sweet Banshee died yesterday morning.

2009-10-29T10:05:00.000Z

Farewell to my beautiful Banshee. I'm so sad that she's gone, but now she's at peace, without pain. Cancer finally took over.I miss her. She was so graceful and elegant, and a real sweetheart. She lived with me for about 16 years. I took her in as a stray, she had given birth to kittens on wasteland near my home. I found her kittens a lovely home, and she came to stay, with her sister Phoebe, who has also had kittens (I found her one surviving kitten a good home too). Phoebe and Banshee loved to sleep on top of the kitchen cupboards. they became known as 'The kitchen cats'. The last few year or so, Phoebe developed a disease on her nose. It makes her cranky. All consultations have been inconclusive, but it's not cancer. Banshe very loyally put up with all her crankness, and adored Phoebe. Banshee developed cancer of the mouth. A biopsy revealed it was not operable and the type that does not respond well to chemotherapy or treatment. We tried Apricot Kernels, but I think it was too little, too late, also because the tumour was in/on her mouth, eating was not easy. Eventually she stopped eating, then drinking. I knew it was her final day yesterday, I could see it in her eyes. I went out to get my car from the garage (needed work on it), and by the time I got home, about an hour later, she was dead. She spared me having to euthanaise her, as I couldn't see her suffer any more.It was her time to leave this world. Bless my lovely Banshee. She rests with all the other dear, sweet kitties that have come into my life and passed out of this world, and I know they'll take care of her.

Update on Banshee

2009-10-05T16:50:00.004+01:00

This is a photo of banshee, taken today. As you can see, her top lip and mouth has an enormous tumour, which is growing rapidly. it is her second day of having ground Apricot Kernels put in her food. I've got her some extra special food, and put a pinch of the ground apricot kernels in a small amount, and stay with her while she eats it, so that I know she's definitely had some, and not the other cats! I do this 3 times a day. it's too early to notice any good effects, but I'm hoping with time and patience, the tumour will shrink. She eats well and drinks water, so I know she's not in too much pain.

Our beloved Banshee

2009-09-25T18:27:00.006+01:00

Our beloved Banshee has just been diagnosed with cancer of the mouth (top palette). The vet said it is very invasive and the type of cancer that doesn't respond well to chemotherapy. It is situated in a place too difficult to operate, so it cannot be removed. It is just a matter of keeping her going for as long as we can until this nasty disease goes too far. I have ordered Apricot Kernels from a place that the lovely Annette from Dragon House of Yuen recommended. Thank you Annette for the info. The woman at Dayspring was sweet and talked a little bit about the apricot kernels. I have ordered them ground up, to put in Banshee's food next week. I hope they make a difference. The info about Apricot Kernels, is very interesting.
Banshee last December.

Banshee a couple of months ago, when the top lip started to swell.

2009-09-06T12:06:00.003+01:00

EtsyVeg is hosting “Kick off to Fall,” a weeklong event, Monday, September 7th through Sunday, September 13th, with our veggie artisans celebrating Autumn's upcoming arrival with special sales and offers!
Here is a list of shops participating in the event. Check them out to see what's on offer.
aktie9
amefaust
auclairdelalune
chickscratch
CollarMeGorgeous
jackandjillsmom
jenoconnell
judysmosaicsupplies
loveluca
Karramandi
KneeDeepOriginals
krugsecologic
magglepie
midnightrabbits
movetheneedle
ThisisBexx
pandawithcookie
silentlotus
TheAwesomestPossum
veganessa
vibrantmosaics

A Green Day

2009-08-23T12:08:00.005+01:00

The UK is well known for it's rain. Luckily this year we have had a glimpse of sunshine in between the downpours. All this rain then sunshine makes for very lush green grass.

My local park is not very pretty, but if you can ignore the rubbish and vandalism, look beyond the graffiti, which by the way is NOT street art, not here anyway, step over the broken glass and empty beer cans, switch off to the sound of screeching cars and police sirens, there is green space which can be enjoyed.
Here, the girls stop for a pee.
We like to stroll around, and maybe sometimes see other dogs that we've got to know over time. The girls love it, and I do too. I can daydream of a better world of peace and harmony, a world without cruelty and oppression.
However chaotic it is all around, our little bit of green park bring us all a little bit of peace and sanity, and makes life just that little bit better. Feel the breeze in the air, enjoy the lush green colours, smile at the swallows (or are they swifts) as they go sweeping by, and enjoy.

I need your votes!!!!!!!!!!!!

2009-08-16T10:50:00.004+01:00

My darling Ruby is in a Pet Photo contest :)
Please, please, please vote for her, by clicking on this link: http://dazzledbeaderpetphotocontmest.blogspot.co/ and selecting number 11.
All of the cats and dogs are very cute, and superstars.
The winners get a prize plus a donation to their favourite charity. If I win, I will choose
Dr Hadwen Trust for the donation. This is their statement of their cause:
'The Dr Hadwen Trust is the UK's leading medical research charity funding exclusively non-animal techniques to replace animal experiments, benefiting humans
and animals.'

Taking it Easy!

2009-08-15T17:20:00.004+01:00

Having spent a good part of today shopping for groceries, amongst the busy crowds of stressed out shoppers, and angry motorists, and now the weather is not so bright, I can't help but feel just a little bit envious of my darling cats. I arrived home to find them stretched out, lazing around, and generally taking it easy. They looked up at me with a 'do not disturb' kind of look, and continued in their slumberly rest. Every now and again I'd love to change places with them, and have no worries, taking each day as it comes, eating in between snoozing, just lounging, resting and generally letting it all hang out! and just once in a while chase the other cats around to play. Ah, bliss..................................

A delightful vegan picnic.

2009-08-09T18:18:00.016+01:00

We have had a lovely sunny Sunday. Early afternoon we took the dogs for a nice long walk, through woods, by the lake and parkland. A fabulous sunny day. We all appreciated getting out in the sun at last. so many people were out having their picnics, I thought it would be nice to have a picnic when we got home. of course we had to go shopping for the food, on the way home. luckily one of us had their purse on them (not me). It didn't take too long to prepare the picnic. many hands make light work, as the saying goes, or in this case - you stay over there and so your bit, and leave me to do the rest (I usually work better when I'm on my own in the kitchen.).
The result was a scrumptious, yummy vegan feast of a picnic, and there's lots left over for later, so we are certainly well fed today!!!!!!
Look at the fabulous, tasty food, and try not to let your mouth water! This is the picnic laid out, before we devoured it !

A close up of our delicious food, and now for some detailed close ups of some of the dishes:

This is a tofu dish, which tasted a bit like an egg mayo mix, it was made of Tofu, Gherkins, Paprika, and Vegan Mayo. I think that was all, but since I didn't make it there may be other ingredients added, hmmmm, I'll have to find out.
This is the beetroot salad I made from raw beet
root and red onion, chopped very small, with a little Good Oil and balsamic vinegar added.

This is a bowl of sauteed mushrooms, with a little salt and pepper added, and Grassington's chicken style nugg ets
I also made this healthy basic salad - lettuce, tomato, celery, cucumber and spring onions, with a light dressing of Good Oil and balsamic vinegar.

This is a close up of the hummus dip (bought),

and the salts I used - Herbemare and Jamie Olivers Pink Himalayan Salt, which I've wanted to try for a long time, I've only ever seen Himalayan salt in a big lump before, so it is handy to find these smaller granules in a grinder. I very rarely use Table salt, I prefer these kind of salts, they contain less sodium, and are much healthier.
After we let this yummy food go down for a while, I decided to make my version of a Strawberry Shakeaway. Even though i don't know exactly how they make theirs, they truly are delicious , and they do a good vegan variety. I used fresh strawberries, soya milk and vegan ice-cream by Swedish Glace. Blended them together, and 'voila' a scrumptious, Vegan Strawberry Shake. It was beyond delicious.
We also had some boiled potatoes, some bread, and some water. I think that is everything.
It stayed sunny, the food was all delicious, and nutritious, and it was a verrrry nice way to spend a Sunday afternoon.

A Super Fabulous Vegan Sample Bag

2009-08-02T18:10:00.004+01:00

I entered a contest recently, to name the new Vegan Sample Bag site, and I won. It's being called 'It's all In The Bag'.
My prize was a super fantastic Vegan Goodie Bag. It arrived last week. I had such a surprise. As it was a sample bag I didn't know what was in it, so each time I delved into the bag, it was like dipping into a christmas stocking! it was full of a wonderful assortment of vegan goodies, including, soaps, body scrub, bracelet, flower seeds, earrings, discount coupons,
a crocheted face cloth, a wonderful VeganEtsy patch, a print, and
more, so much more. All in a pretty tote.
Everything was handmade by wonderful Etsy crafters. It was very exciting, and I am thrilled to have received it. The organiser of these fabulous Vegan Sample Bags, Heather, works very hard to get them together, and all proceeds go to Peaceful Prairie Sanctuary.
I have sent some of my own handmade samples to Heather, for the next Vegan Sample B ag Sale, which is due out very soon. To check out more info about the sample bags, such as latest contributors, and when they go on sale, click here.

EtsyVeg Giveaway

2009-07-30T09:05:00.001+01:00

I am donating the prize form my Veganessa shop, to this weeks EtsyVeg giveaway. To check out the contest, click onto EtsyVeg and try your luck ;).
It's free to enter, and you could win a fabulous coin purse, handmade in Wales.
http://etsyveg.blogspot.com/2009/07/etsyveg-weekly-wednesday-giveaway_29.html

A fabulous Etsy Shop for the cutest gifts ever.

2009-07-26T08:56:00.012+01:00

Everyone who shops on Etsy will know how delightful it is to find a shop they LOVE, that has something they just have to buy. I have found that very shop. I was recently looking for something for a friend's birthday. I had in mind, kinda cute, possibly jewellery, oranges, browns sort of colours, other than that, I was open for surprises. I searched vegan etsy members shops, as I like to support my fellow team members if possible. I came across this adorable shop: Pinkkis. Scrolling through the charming assortment of pencil cases, necklaces, pouches, earrings, and more,
I found this: an adorable fruit plate brooch, full of oranges and strawberries and lots of tiny detailed fruits. It was so sweet, and just the right colours. I just had to buy it. Such a novelty, unique gift, my friend was delighted.
I have my eye on some other items in Pinkkis Store , and as soon as I can, I will be looking to buy some more. just look at these adorable, funky items:

Etsy is full of wonderful shops, and Pinkkis is one of the cutest. Based in Finland, some of the store's information is written in Finnish as well as English, which looks everso so cute too, I'm fascinated by languages.
Check out Pinkkis Blog for a fun read, or visit Pinkkis Store , you are sure to smile at the cuteness, and the store owner, Raisa, is very friendly, and a delight to buy from.

I'm in an Etsy Voter

2009-07-16T19:04:00.003+01:00

Hey, how's this for a surpirse, I've been included in this weeks tsy Voter, that has a theme 'things I would take to the beach'. My Beach Bag from my Etsy shop is up there! I need votes! so, if you can, please, pretty please vote for my bag :)
htt p://www.etsy.com/voter_list.php?ref=voter&room_id=59

I've not been in a voter before, so it's very exciting for me.

Fabulous New Vegan Sample Bags Out Soon!

2009-07-13T22:12:00.006+01:00

I'm just finishing my donations for the Vegan Sample Bags, put together by the wonderful Holistically Heather. She is collecting all items by the end of July 31st and they will be for sale in August. here is a sample of my samples :)

A mix of coin purses, business card holders and mini pocket purses. Made from acrylic felt, and decorated with beads, motifs, wording etc all good fun, and aimed at spreading the word VEGAN! I have a load more ideas, but alas time is running out. So I must pop the items in the post to Heather, and eagerly await the arrival of the new set of bags.

I have been given an award :)

2009-06-28T18:03:00.004+01:00

How fabulous is that! I have been given "One Lovely Blog Award" by Dazzled Beaded Designs . That's very sweet of her. Check out her blog, it's a lovely blog about crafting for animals, and has some adorable photos on there.
So a big THANKYOU to Beaded Dazzler.

In accepting this award, I have been asked to pass it on to 15 other blogs that I enjoy reading. So here are the blogs I have chosen:
Cat with a garden
Daisy the curly cat
Dragon House of Yuen
Holistically Heather
KMStichery
Krugsecologic
Lynn's Musings and Mumblings
Mishkat
Panda with Cookie
Pigatopia
Rants and Raves of a New Age Chick
Starrlight Jewlery
The Fantail
The Jewellery Pitt
Vegan Mama

Fabulous Zine - Peace to All Creatures - Summer 09 issue 1

2009-06-09T17:35:00.009+01:00

Have you ever wanted a different kind of magazine? One that looks at issues such as Upcycled Art, Freeganism, Converting to Veganism, Preventing skin cancer, and many more interesting and varied subjects? Then this zine will be of interest to you. It is new, it is fresh, it is written by a wide variety of people for a wide wariety of people.
The first issue is out now.
'But', I hear you asking, 'where can I buy this interesting new zine?'
You can buy it online from the following sources:
My Etsy shop: MidnightRabbits in the near future or
or the following Etsy shops: UberDuperCreations right now

The first issue contains 36 pages of awesome-ness about art, animals, veg'n diet, health, social and green issues, and much more is available now at UberDuperCreations
High-quality laser printed, hand bound with hemp cord.

Designed and edited by Pippi of UberDuperCreations and her fabulous new friend that she met through the Etsy for Animals Team. Visit her shop at GingerCardCo.etsy.com - jewelry, notecards, notebooks, and more.
intersting topics, new writers, wonderful artwork.

Bristol Vegan Fayre 09. A fabulous vegan day.

2009-06-07T15:25:00.013+01:00

This year's Bristol Vegan Fayre was held on the weekend 30/31 May 09. Each year that it has been held, it has become bigger and bigger. There is talk of it not happening next year, and it would be a shame if it didn't take place, as it is very popular with, vegans, veggies and everyone else.
On arrival, we went into the marquee with stalls. A huge space for all things vegan to be sold. Many samples of food to try, from raw chocolate to burgers, and everything inbetween. Quite a few of the stalls are known by me, since I've been to several vegan fayres, so I mostly know what to expect, and it really didn't dissappoint.
There was Fry's food, that sell vegan fake meat products. If you can get over the likeness to meat, they make fab savoury things like burgers, sausages, 'chicken' pieces. I like their products, they're convenient and tasty, and 'NO' I' m not longing for meat, when I eat them, they make VEGAN products, if it was meat, I would never touch it. Hey, if it helps anyone lay off animals, , it's a great idea to try these, but also, like I said - convenient, and tasty, and in no way trying to be meat. I mention this because it's asked so many times, I would never eat animals 'because I liked the taste of it', I'm not trying to compensate for not eating them (as though i'm deprived), I simply see them as savoury foods, easy to cook, and somewhat easily available.
Other stalls where Bute Island Scheese, which sells a good variety of vegan 'cheeses', my
favourite being their 'cream cheese'. There were stalls selling clothes, shoes, all var ieties of foods, stalls giving out leaflets and information, some for animals, some for the environment and even a political party, Animals Count who certainly get my vote!

Throughout the day, we listened to fab bands, bumped into a few people we knew,and ate lots of delicious vegan food.
My picassa collage above gives a picture of the day. It was fab. And I so loook forward to next year's - fingers crossed!

If the hens only knew...................................

2009-06-05T15:51:00.019+01:00

10,000 battery hens are soon to be rescued and re-homed.
The fabulous Little Hen Rescue in Norwich UK have negotiated handing them
over from a battery farm that is soon closing down.
Battery hens live in appalling conditions, cramped cages, unable to move properly, sometimes unable to stand, with wire flooring, never seeing daylight or smelling fresh air. Many pluck their feathers out from boredom, frustration, pain, or through fighting.
It is not surprising that when these beautiful creatures
are rescued they can be in a terrible state,
having twisted joints, or lameness,
or having had their beaks cut down, or suffering from malnutrition.

So along with the rescue comes a host of health and medical problems. One problem that can easily be helped by anyone prepared to give a little time and effort is to make 'hen jackets' - yes, that's right 'hen jackets'. These simple tabard style 'jackets' will help keep the bald hens warm, and help them climatise while settling in to their new found freedom. it can be a bit of a shock to their system after being cooped up for so long. I have made an assortment of hen jackets to donate to Little Hen Rescue.
I'll be sending them off to the rescue this weekend (there are 17 jackets in all).
This looks like a scene from 'Washing Day at the Hen House'

These are a few jackets close up. It appealed to my sense of humour to make one with a hen on it :) yeah, corny I know!

Also the 'high visibility' ones made me smile.

I used a variety of fabrics, basically anything that was going spare. The hens need fleece for warmth, but I also used brushed cotton, and jersey. I made a template from the one provided on Little Hen Rescue site. Attaching Velcro for fastening. it occurred to me after I'd finished them (yeah, yeah, hindsight is a wonderful thing!) that maybe the edges of the fabric did not need overlocking, as the jackets will be discard once the hens have gotten used to their new homes and their feathers have, hopefully, grown back. So there may have been an even quicker way to make them, not sure................................. added note' I have been informed that they ask the jackets to be returned, so that they may be reused, so maybe my overlocking was needed after all'
I'm glad to have helped in my small way. If anyone wishes to help Little Hen Rescue, by making hen jackets, or donations, or indeed, giving a home to rescued hens, you can contact them, or check out their web page.

Hens need re-homing

2009-05-21T11:59:00.003+01:00

Notice on Vegan Village noticeboard:

Hens need rescuing10,000 hens need rehoming from battery farm in Norfolk, UK, which is closing-down. If you would like a hen or two or know someone who would please contact littlehenrescue@googlemail.com. Any not rehomed by 28 June will be slaughtered.
Annette of Dragon House of Yuen has done a wonderful write up:
http://dragonhouseofyuen.blogspot.com/2009/05/11000-british-ex-battery-hens-needing.html

And the winners are.....................

2009-05-15T22:41:00.003+01:00

Following on from the contest, we have 2 winners. All entries were given a number, and the numbers put into randomizer. the results are: 1st prize of a $15 gift voucher to spent at Veganessa goes to Amivegan. the second prize of $10 gift voucher to spend at Veganessa goes to secretcake. Well done winners, and thank you to everyone that entered.

Dragon House Of Yuen Contest

2009-05-10T17:37:00.003+01:00

Another contest is http://women-prenuergalore.blogspot.com/2009/04/interview-with-annette-tait-dragonhouse.html an interesting blog, and a wonderful interview with Annette Tait of DragonHouseofYuen, plus a chance to win a fabulous prize.

Don't delay contest end at midnight tonight!!!!!!

Time for another contest.

2009-05-09T16:40:00.006+01:00

I've been entering lots of contests/giveaways lately, and it made me think, it's time to hold one of my own again. So here it is.....

How to enter:

*My cat Billy can sometimes be a Silly Billy. Here I caught him dressing up with a bow in his hair, and playing 'mother' to his pet toy cat. To enter, leave a caption for the photo of Billy in the comments box, this will get you one entry into the giveaway draw. To qualify, you must leave a contact email or etsy convo address.

**For another chance in the draw, visit my shops Veganessa or MidnightRabbits and post a comment about an item you like, and why you like it.

***If you purchase anything from either Veganessa or MidnightRabbits during the contest and post about it here, you will get a further two entires into the contest, for each item you buy.

All entires will be put into a draw and selected by randomiser. the winner will be announced on this blog. The draw is open from now until Friday 15th May 09 at 7pm GMT. The winner will be announced soon afterwards. There will be 2 prizes. First prize is a gift voucher for my shop Veganessa to the value of $15, the second prize is a gift voucher for my shop Veganessa to the value of $10.

Contest is open to everyone, worldwide. If winners select goods, using their gift voucher, from my shop Veganessa by Friday 22nd May, I will throw in free post and packing. Instructions will be sent with vouchers.

Any questions, you can convo me through Etsy , or leave it here in comments. You do not need an Etsy account to enter. Good Luck!

Finding new recycled items.

2009-05-09T10:55:00.005+01:00

I am always interested in Eco products. When I happen to find some, I think it's fab, and just have to try it. My latest find, are these recycled clothes pegs -

The packets states : hurricane force grip, frost proof, no peg stains, made from 100% recycled plastic, recyclable, washable, metal free.

Seems like another way to reduce plastic waste, it's gotta be good! I bought them at a supermarket, so they are obtainable in mainstream stores, which has the advantage of being easily accessible. Not that I always use supermarkets, it's just that they are convenient, as I can't always get to a health food shop, and our local shops leave a lot to be desired.

These pegs are produced by Eco Force .

My next mission is the find craft felt made from recycled post consumer plastic waste. Which I've found a small selection of, and very interested in checking out more. Watch this space.........

Vegan Etsy giveaway!!!!!

2009-05-02T00:17:00.002+01:00

Cool, super fantastic VeganEtsy giveaway. Check it out!

Always good to find another Vegan beer.

2009-05-01T23:37:00.004+01:00

Another delightful vegan suitable beer that I just happened to find while shopping at my local Sainbury's. This one is a stout. I've not come across this brewery before, but Meantime Brewery do quite a collection of beers. Their London Stout is labelled as suitable for Vegans. It tastes dark. very Dark. Smooth, velvety, with hints of chocolate. it leaves a very tasteful after taste. To me, it is a stout to be drunk slowly and savoured. Having said that, my partner likes to swig it down, so I guess whatever takes your fancy. This is a very nice smooth stout. I would drink it again anytime.

A little bit of self promotion.

2009-04-29T14:26:00.006+01:00

As anyone who has seen my Veganessa shop, will be aware, I like making things that have a message to promote veganism, cruelty free, peace and love. The latest tote bag I have designed has a very poignant message on it. It hardcore vegan/animal rights, and I love it. I love it so much that I just have to keep it. However, I have made a listing in my shop, and will make more bags to order. I have already used the tote, and am very pleased to be carrying this cruelty free message around and promoting animal rights. What do you think of it?

Picassa - my new discovery!

2009-04-22T12:04:00.000+01:00

I came accross Picassa in forum, so thought I's give it a go. I decided to use the Tote bags I sell in my Etsy shop Veganessa, and this is the result, I like it!

Earth Day Contest

2009-04-22T09:05:00.011+01:00

I am one of the shops participating in the EtsyVeg Earthly Riches giveaway! There are 20 prizes in 5 prize categories, with multiple chances to win. You will find one hidden Earth image in 20 shops, including mine - if you find them all you can earn an entry for the grand prize, worth over $100! You can also earn FIVE entries for the grand prize by spending $25 in this shop, and FIVE entries for the first prize for spending $10 (please see rules for details)!For complete rules and details on how to enter, including a list of shops participating and prizes, please see the EtsyVeg'>http://etsyveg.blogspot.com/2009/04/etsyveg-earthly-riches-giveaway-april.html">EtsyVeg blog. The giveaway runs from April 22-28.

Visit my shop:

Veganessa

to see some wonderful tote bags and coin purses, with fabulous designs and suitable for vegans. Ditch those plastic bags, use a tote bag again and again.

Fancy helping an animal charity?

Everything in my shop Midnightrabbits is sold to help the EtsyforAnimals charity of the month. April's chosen charity is - Siberians Needing Owners http://www.siberiansneedingowners.org/Siberians Needing Owners (SNO) is dedicated to the care, understanding, rehabilitation and adoption of Siberian Huskies and other sled dogs." It is our goal to make life better for some of the thousands of lost, unwanted and homeless Huskies while at the same time helping to educate our youth and their parents to the need for spay/neuter of and life long commitment to all pets.

Vegan Sample Bags for sale

2009-04-19T10:59:00.008+01:00

How about this for a neat idea.
heather from Holistically Heather has put together bags of luscious vegan goodies from members of the VeganEtsy team to produce the amazing Vegan Sample Bags.
Just look at the gorgeous assortments of items - jewellery, bath and beauty, business card holders (I donated!), coupons, cards, artwork, crochet, and so much more. Check out http://www.vegansamples.blogspot.com/ for further information, or stop by the Etsy shop Vegan Craft Samples to buy one of these amazing goodie bags. Don't delay, they're selling like hot vegan cakes!

Priceless Moments - I love mine!

2009-04-10T21:42:00.013+01:00

Winning a prize is always a surprise. I enter contests sporadically, and tend to forget about them, so if I get notification that I've won something, I'm genuinely surprised and thrilled.

Recently Dragon House of Yuen had a contest, which raised funds for rescued rabbits at Buckeye House Rabbit Society

The first prize was an amazing Arabella Bag which is absolutely adorable. There were 5 runner up prizes of gift vouchers for Dragon House of Yuen's Etsy shop

I was lucky enough to win a runner up prize, and had the delightful task of choosing something from this wonderful shop.

After pondering the many delightful items, I chose this wonderful ACEO which is one of a collection of Priceless Moments ACEO's. Each piece of artwork comes with a little story. My Priceless Moment was 'Let the Journey Begin', which said to me 'embrace all things new, have an adventure, welcome change'. And I love it.

The prize arrived, very carefully packaged, and very beautifully wrapped inside. To my delight, had some extras with it. A gorgeous Arabella Card, and a very special ACEO, which had been made with my own cats in mind this is the ACOE, and the story read:

Priceless had rustled up some delicious vegan snacks. (It had taken him all morning and the kitchen was still a complete mess). There’s always time for a bite he thought. He called in Pinkie, Ruby and Billy and Molly and… The soup smelled just so delicious and he could see that everyone was drooling. In fact, as he served the soup up, he realized that he had made enough for twenty-four hours worth of meals! Good grief! he thought. Never-the-less we shall share the moment.

How adorable is that! and so very unique! I am truly delighted with my gifts from

Dragon House of Yuen and the store owner is a remarkably talented and generous lady. You can read more about Dragon House of Yuen by visiting http://dragonhouseofyuen.etsy.com/ or http://dragonhouseofyuen.blogspot.com/

Here are some photos of the delightful items you will find in this magical shop:

A Handmade Success!

2009-04-07T19:04:00.012+01:00

This weekend I made our cats a catnip playmat. I had promised them a while back that I would make them one. I had bought the foam mat for inside, but that was all. Then last Friday I wandered into a fabric shop during my lunch break, and there was the funkiest, fabulous fleece fabric I have ever seen. I was covered in bright, and I mean bright, multi coloured cats, on a black background. next to it was a lovely colour purple fleece fabric. They were perfect. I just had to buy them. they sat in my room until Sunday, when I finally got to work in the cats playmat. I wanted a mat that I could put catnip in, and refill the catnip from time to time, I wanted it to be soft but not floppy, and I wanted to add things for then to play with, kinda like kiddies playmats, only without so much on them.

The end product is this funky catnip mat, which has a bump in one corner, for the cats to rub their face on and a tube thing on the other for them to grab and attack when they are playing.

They love it. Firstly they couldn't get enough of the catnip, rolling around and rubbing their faces on it. After a while they needed a rest, and Ruby claimed it as her mat. Ever since, whenever we are looking for Ruby she is on her mat, the moment she gets off it, Billy or Pinkie moves onto it. A BIG hit! So glad I made it for them.

A fine collection of Vegan Beer.

2009-04-04T19:59:00.011+01:00

Indeed a fine fine collection of Vegan Beers.
Actually getting a good beer, or stout, that is vegan suitable, is not always easy to come by, not everything is labelled with the vegan symbol, or stating 'vegan' on the label, so I thought I'd share my 'finds' for any thirsty vegans, who just happen to like the odd ale :)
I have tried all five of the beers above, and I lined them up in order of preference, going from right to left when looking at the photo. I'm not sure if one can call stout beer, but I'm not expert on beer, so please exclude my ignorance if I call them wrongly.

My very favourite is Samuel Smith's Oatmeal Stout.
It's a rich, dark stout, which has a sweet taste, yet bitter at the same time. It is best drunk slowly and savoured. it seems quite filling, and I honestly think one bottle is quite satisfying. It's quite pricey - at £2.25 a bottle, it's a lovely treat. Not many places sell it, so whenever I see it, I cannot resist in buying a bottle. This stout actually carries the vegan symbol (a sunflower with vegan written below it). it comes in 550ml bottles and is 5% alc vol.
Next is Black Sheep Ale. This beer can be bought at most supermarkets, it's a good bittersweet ale, not as rich as stout but heavy enough to satisfy. An easy to drink dark beer, and my favourite 'easily accessible' beer. 500ml bottles, 4.4% alc vol. Only the bottled beers are vegan, not the cask ales!

Third in my selection is Fullers London Pride. Fuller's are sold by most supermarkets, so this one is also easily obtained. All of their bottled beers are suitable except Honey Dew. Some restaurant and pubs may sell their beer too, it quite a well known one. The range. I tried their London Porter, but it was just too bitter for me, whereas their London Pride is a nice light beer, easy to drink, and enjoy at home or out. 50ml bottles, 4.7% alc vol. This is a good all round beer.

I came across this Entire Stout by HopBack Brewery in a supermarket recently. it states vegan on the label, so I thought I'd try it. I must say, it was a bit too bitter for me. The label is fun to look at, and for anyone into bitter stouts, this would have been fine.500ml bottle 4.5% alc vol.
And lastly we have Samuel Smiths Imperial Stout. A big No from me. rather disappointing since their Oatmeal Stout is my favourite, but this ale is too bitter for me. Has the vegan trademark symbol on the label. 355ml bottle, 7% alc vol. Strong Stout!

So there you have it, five Vegan beers , all different, something for everyone.
Now I think I'll go and have a beer, I feel kinda thirst :) Cheers!

VeganVillage Notice Board

2009-03-27T11:06:00.003Z

Just read this in the Vegan Village Notice Board , so thought I'd post it here to help get the word around! :

Benefit Gig 4 bristol A/RNot long now till our first benefit gig in ages! Benefit gig for Bristol Animal Rights Collective, Saturday 4th of April at the Plough, Kilburn Street, Easton from 8pm 'til late. Bands include Bones at the Bottom of the Barrell, Circus of Invention and Rat Face. Please spread the word! Funds will be used by the group to print new leaflets to promote animal liberation and a vegan diet and animal sanctuarys which are desperate for cash. Please repost this message,tell your mates and turn up! emailaddress2468@yahoo.co.uk

A weekend in Brighton.

2009-03-23T22:27:00.028Z

Last weekend we visited Brighton. The main purpose was to attend the 2nd Annual Brighton Vegan Fayre , also to have a weekend by the sea. Brighton is a lively seaside town, which has a thriving political scene. As it has a University, the town has many students and ex-students, that just won't go home. It is full of tourists and typical English seaside tack, indeed one can find every kind of stick of rock and smutty postcard, should that be your thing. There is a grunge element that can look a bit on the rough side, but there is also a wonderful cafe society, with plenty of veggie food and drinks, where you can sit outside (weather permitting) and watch the world go by, there will always be plenty to of alternative fashions to look at, and as it's known as the gay capitol of Britain, plenty of flamboyant dressers to amaze you.

We stayed at Paskins Town House, which is situated in Charlotte street in Kemptown, about 15 minute walk from the centre, but worth the walk. Paskins is vegan friendly, although not solely vegan. It is decorated in Art Nouveau Style, and looks clean and uncluttered. Our room was clean and welcoming, although a little small, it was neat. A kettle and condiments were provided, and it was no trouble when we asked for soya milk and green tea. The owners are polite and attentive, and one really gets the feeling of being made welcome.

The Vegan Fayre was held at the Brighton Centre, a large multi-story venue. There was cookery demonstrations, talks and entertainers. there were lots of stalls selling everything vegan from food to clothing to cars, yes cars, there was an amazing electric car sales area, which was very informative and interesting, I just need the £13,000+ and I'd definitely buy one. There were plenty of food samples, which just goes to show how lucky vegans are, to have such a wide range of delicious and nutritious food easily available. I just had to try a vegan sherry trifle. It was sweet heaven. There were cosmetics, and lots of hemp- hemp clothing, hemp foods, hemp supplements, all backed up with lots of literature and info. Among the stalls selling wares, were stalls highlighting the plight of animals everywhere, and trying to do a bit of fundraising for their cause. The stall holders were friendly and chatted when we stopped to talk. I had planned for the weekend, and had enough money to be able to treat myself to some wonderful things. Hmmmm, lets see - some de-hulled hemp seeds from Hempish, which taste 'nutty' and are very good for you and go with everything, some wonderful soft face cream from Green People and some delicate, adorable Wild Rose Eau de Toilette by Lavera. A fabulous Vegan day was had by all.

We also spent some time wandering around The Lanes and the North Laines taking in the fabulous indie shops and designer shops. We saw amazing jewellery by Jewel Thief. And just had to visit Vegetarian Shoes , where I gave in to temptation and bought the Retread Mules. this is the description of them from their website:

"Simple unisex Slip-on shoes. Made with our super-soft Vegetarian Fake-suede uppers. Lined with fine fake suede micro fibre. Soft-lined padded insoles add to foot comfort. Car-tyre soles are super-hard wearing. Sole thickness is pretty uniform but sole tread pattern will vary from pair to pair depending on tyres used. Micro-cellular mid-sole adds to foot comfort. "

They are VERY comfortable and look very stylish. I love them!

These are also adorable and stylish, but alas not owned by me:

Throughout the weekend we ate at various establishments, and tried an assortment of food. Our first stop, to eat was Red Veg where we had a tasty and filling Hickory smoked vegan burger and fries, naughty but nice, well, we were on a weekend holiday after all - not a time to think about calories!

The next day we stopped by Iydea which had a fantastic menu with mainly vegan dishes, and lots of yummy vegan cakes. I would certainly go there again, the staff were friendly and the food was in abundance and very tasty.

On our last day we went to the George Pub which is well known amongst local veggies for their largely vegan menu and casual ambiance. it is an old style pub and is family friendly. The meals took a while to arrive, the food is ample in portion and would satisfy the hungriest customer.

The weather stayed sunny, we did lots of walking, and had a wonderful weekend.

In praise of StarrlightJewelry

2009-03-14T19:45:00.009Z

These fabulous earrings were sent to me by the wonderful StarrlightJewelry , whose Etsy shop is full of wonderful Gothic, Victorian delights.
The announcement at the beginning of the shop states: Starrlight Jewelry: Eclectic black bead & rose boutique, which sums it up nicely. Here you will find adorable black and red earrings, necklaces, bracelets and trinkets galore. A wonderful shop full of delightful Jewelry, Gifts and Home decor.
I was lucky to receive these adorable 'Blood Lily - Earrings'. They arrived very nicely packaged, in a box that echoed sophistication.

The earrings are sumptuous and glamorous. The red and black were perfect for a party I was going to and perfectly complimented my red and black attire. They are very well made, with stunning beads that look even more beautiful in real life than the pictures show.

As with all of StarrlightJewelry they are beautiful and romantic, sexy and seductive all at the same time. I'm certainly going to visit the shop again, I just love treating myself, pure pleasure ;)

Check out StarrlightJewelry Blog for a fantastic giveaway contest, Starr is very generous as well as being extremely talented.

Another fantastic contest from Veganetsy

2009-03-06T22:03:00.003Z

So here it is, another contest by the fabulous veganetsy team. It's an interesting contest, and the prizes to be won are super-fantastic! Check it out:

http://www.veganetsy.blogspot.com/

Small Acts of Animals Kindness.

2009-03-01T18:12:00.004Z

Everyone interested in helping animals really should check out this link:
http://smallrandomactsofanimalkindness.blogspot.com/

It's a fabulous idea, and well worth joining in. Take a look!

And as for that beautiful little chihauhau Grace, she's absolutely adorable. i wish her ever luck in finding her forever home, only wish she could come to live with me.

http://www.petfinder.com/petnote/displaypet.cgi?petid=12780614

Busy, Busy, Busy

2009-02-25T22:15:00.004Z

Wow have I been busy. I been making tote bags for my Etsy shop, http://veganessa.etsy.com and I've spend a LOT of time listing them too. until you list lots of items in one go, it's hard to imagine just how laborious listing can be. Glad it's done. maybe next time, I'll stagger the listings over a few days, which is probably a better idea, but I do like to see them up there as quickly as possible. Here's a photo of the tote bags on a table, just before I photographed them individually,
quite a lot of work.

Spay Day USA 2009 - Tuesday, February 24

2009-02-19T13:53:00.007Z

Spay Day USA 2009 - Tuesday, February 24 humanesociety.org/spayday

More than 4 MILLION homeless pets are put down in the U.S. every year.

Tomorrow's count is up to you. Please spay or neuter your pets.humanesociety.org/spayday for further information. Too many lives are needlessly wasted.

Millions of cats and dogs are needlessly euthanized each year. They may be street animals, or the offspring of cherished family pets, even purebreds. Maybe someone's cat or dog got out just that one time or maybe the litter was intentional, but efforts to find enough good homes failed. Spay/neuter is the only permanent, 100 percent effective method of birth control for dogs and cats and a proven way to reduce the vast numbers of animals who are born only to die prematurely and without a family who loves them. Learn more about why you should spay or neuter your pet.

Etsy.com teams, EFA and EtsyVeg, have joined together in support of Spay Day.

Members from both teams are offering a 'SPAY DAY 1 DAYSPECIAL' on Tuesday, February 24, in our Etsy shops.

Check out the shops below for further details, and click on:

1. Nancy - NanjoDogz.et sy.com - 20% to Illinois Doberman Rescue

2. Jen - DragonRags.etsy.com + jlynnpro.etsy.com - Free Shipping

3. Heather - aktie9.etsy.com - 50% of all sales on Spay day to the EFAcharity ofthe month (Rainbow Connection Animal Foundation)

4. El - elephantdance.etsy.com - 100% donations of profits to paws-saipan.org

5. Michele - mvegan5.etsy.com - 25% of shop sales to the EFA Charityof the Month (Rainbow Connection Animal Foundation)

6. Marjorie - WHSKR.etsy.com - giving 50% of my sales

7. Meghann - littlestudiojewels.etsy.com - 25% of the total sales tothe Lanark Animal Welfare Society

8. Holly - silverrosedesigns.etsy.com - free shipping, and 50% of shopsales to German Shepherd Rescueof New England.

9. Eva - alilsumptinsumptin.etsy.com - 25% of proceeds divided equallyto HSUS & SCGR Rescue plus Free Shipping

10. Linda - AllAboutCats.etsy.com - Free Shipping

11. Lynn - LolaLynn.etsy.com - 10% to the EFA charity of the month(Rainbow Connection Animal Foundation), 10% to Sophia the dog for herheart surgery and Free Shipping

12. Emily - punkybunny300.etsy.com

13. Heather A. - creaturecomfort.etsy.com - Free Shipping and 10% tothe EFA Charity of the Month (Rainbow Connection Animal Foundation)

14. Kim - veganessa.etsy.com + midnightrabbits.etsy.com - Freeshipping on that day and 50%of anything sold will be donated to: friendsoftheanimals.co.uk/neuter.htm

15. Kylie - silentlotus.etsy.com - 20% off all purchases, withproceeds being split betweenthe HSUS and a local Pittsburgh animal organization

16. Cynthia - kittyanydots.etsy.com

17. Bonnie - wovendreams.etsy.com - 10% off on dog leashes, plus many items 100%donation to Dance with the Bunnies Rabbit Rescue

18. Julie - jbirkemeierphoto.etsy.com - Free Shipping

19. Lynn - aguavino.etsy.com - donate 20% off ALL sales that day toPigs Peace Sanctuary

20. Ashley - NYCrochet.etsy.com - Free Shipping

21. Christina - KnittyKrissy.etsy.com

22. Cari - LoveLuca.etsy.com - 50% to an animal charity

23. Ginger - BarkingDogBlankets.etsy.com - 100% of the proceeds onthe small blanket sale to spay day

24. Wei - WeiOpenSecret.etsy.com - Free Shipping

25. Gina - claynfiber.etsy.com - Free Shipping for orders of $40 ormore and donate 100% of the proceeds to HSUS.

26. Akire - Lacewood.etsy.com

27. Rebecca - beckynot.etsy.com - Free Shipping

28. Ann - AnnRan.etsy.com - donate 25% of any of my reproductionprints ( http://webmail.ntlworld.com/do/redirect?url=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.etsy.com%252Fshop.php%253Fuser_id%253D5532445%2526section_id%253D5316177) or earrings (http://webmail.ntlworld.com/do/redirect?url=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.etsy.com%252Fshop.php%253Fuser_id%253D5532445%2526section_id%253D5306725 ) sold on Spay Day to one of my favorite local critter charities. Some of mylistings already specify a charity - for those listings I'll donate tothat charity. For the listings that don't specify a charity, I'll pickone.

29. Maria - pocketfulofsunshine.etsy.com - 100% of all sales from my"DT" Collection and 25% of all sales from the rest of my shop will bedonated to the Florida Boxer Rescue

30. Karen - TheFaerieCupboard.etsy.com - 50% of total sales on Spayday will go to Patriot Siberian Husky Rescue

31. Nita - ApacheMoon.etsy.com - Donate 50% of proceeds on two items(http://webmail.ntlworld.com/do/redirect?url=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.etsy.com%252Fview_listing.php%253Flisting_id%253D9681161 andhttp://webmail.ntlworld.com/do/redirect?url=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.etsy.com%252Fview_listing.php%253Flisting_id%253D15483972)

32. Shari - CiaoHound.etsy.com + PetsJubilee.etsy.com - 20% Discount

33. Stephanie - LuLusPhotography.etsy.com

34. Renee - BelleSirota.etsy.com - 20% of sales will go to the EFAcharity of themonth (Rainbow Connection Animal Foundation)

35. Gena - Dogonwear.etsy.com - 100% to spay day
36. Annette - http://dragonhouseofyuen.etsy.com 20% from each baby hare will be donated to a rabbit rescue and have free shipping.

37 Pey - http://peylu.etsy.com

Australian Bushfire Appeal.

2009-02-17T08:53:00.004Z

A good way to help raise funds for the tragic victims of the Australian Bush fires, is to buy something from the fabulous shop that has been set up with wonderful donations from Etsy Artists to help out.

http://OzBushfireAppeal.etsy.com

This is the introduction from their shop:

This shop has been set up in response to the Australian Bushfire Tragedy. Australian and other Etsians from around the globe have donated items for sale. All items have free International Shipping. NEW ITEMS listed almost around the clock right now, thanks to the generosity of Etsians from around the globe. Please visit us often. Sales from all items will be donated to the Australian Red Cross every week.

A quick look through their shop, and I can say that there is something for everyone, a fabulous selection of items, and a very good way to help the Appeal. Check it out!

A review of my Etsy purchases.

2009-02-15T21:59:00.011Z

I am going to do reviews of my Etsy purchases, so that I can share the delights that I find.
My first review is an Etsy Shop called Karramandi
http://karramandi.etsy.com/

I came across this seller through one of my Etsy teams Etsyveg . http://etsyveg.blogspot.com/
Our team has posts on google and Yvonne from Karramandi introduced herself there, so I took a look at her shop. It is a wonderful Etsy shop, filled with vegan friendly soaps, creams and lotions among other luscious items. The seller is UK based, the same as me, so it cuts down on my carbon footprint if I buy 'local'. Yet another good reason to treat myself :)
After pondering which of the lovely sounding items I should buy, I decided on
Rose Otto and Frankincense Face and Body Cream
and Grapefruit, Ginger and Lime Shea Butter Soap.

The delivery time was quick, and the parcel arrived safe and neatly boxed.
As I opened the parcel, I could smell the wonderful scents arising from the packaging.
Firstly I opened the Rose Otto and Frankincense Face and Body Cream. It smelled divine. I had to try it immediately. The cream was light and delicate. I put a small amount on my hand and my skin devoured it with pleasure. It was easily absorbed, and left my skin feeling soft and lightly scented. I have since used it on my face, just before bedtime, and in the morning my face is very soft and feels wonderful. The consistency is just right, the aroma is perfect. I will probably use this cream on my face more than my hands, as it's such a wonderful find to have a face cream that actually doesn't leave a greasy face, yet still moisturises really well.

The Grapefruit, Ginger and Lime Shea Butter Soap, was beautifully presented. I could smell the fresh scent of lime as i opened the packaging. It was delightful. It almost seemed a shame to open the pretty packaging! The soap is delightful to use, and feels creamy on the skin, and leaves it feeling fresh. The smell is wonderful.

I also had a lovely surprise of a sample of Frankincense soap, which again, smells gorgeous, although I haven't tried it yet, I'm sure it will be just as wonderful.
I can truly recommend Karramandi as a fabulous shop for delightful creams and soaps.
http://karramandi.etsy.com/

My latest addition to my vegan shop!

2009-02-15T17:43:00.004Z

So much to make, so little time! I have some wonderful ideas for a whole range of natural hessian, hemp, jute, organic cotton etc eco-friendly vegan bags and purses. I have made the first one of this type and listed it in my etsy shop:

http://midnightrabbits.etsy.com/ .

It's a wonderful, large messenger/laptop bag, which is unisex. I enjoyed workin with hessian and jute, although the fabric is quite heavy and at one stage 'broke' my sewing machine, and I had to get an engineer out to refix the timing. Gosh, that cost a bit! But now I am up and running, and have finally finished and listed the bag.

I can't wait to get working on the next one or two.....

VeganEtsy giveaway

2009-02-14T23:56:00.003Z

The Vegan Etsy Team are having regular Giveaway contests. they are fun, and free to enter. the first one is up and ready to enter.

Hop over to http://veganetsy.blogspot.com/2009/02/great-vegan-etsy-giveaway_13.html

to check it out.

SPAYDAY IS COMING.............

2009-02-11T22:44:00.002Z

Look out for promotions and offers, to promote Spayday USA. I'll be posting news of this event very soon. watch this space.....................
Check out:
http://www.hsus.org/pets/issues_affecting_our_pets/pet_overpopulation_and_ownership_statistics/spay_day_usa/

Revamping my Blog!

2009-02-02T17:51:00.004Z

Well, what do you think? I spent quite some time playing around with my blog, trying to create a new look. I got bored with the standard old one. And so many others blogs are pretty and interesting to look at. Unfortunately my tech-know-how is not up to much. I managed to widen the width of the posts, as the blank columns each side seemed a waste. Having done that, maybe the new width is a bit less easy on the eyes? I changed colours, i guess that was the easier part. Can't work out how to get rid of the number(is it 897) box, so I'll have to leave it there. Oh, I also put a picture behind the heading. Nice colourful veggies. It's not the most inspired ever, but it's a change. Until I can find a blog template I like or work out anything else, It'll do :)
Please leave a comment on what you think of it, and any improvement you think may help. I'd love to hear your suggestions.

Giveaway!!!

2009-01-28T12:00:00.005Z

To celebrate the opening of my 2nd Etsy shop, I am having a giveaway. Any purchases will receive a FREE handmade business card holder, for a limited time. I have made a variety of business card holders, so it is pot luck which one you will receive with your purchase. Here is a picture of some:

This shop http://veganessa.etsy.com/ will have all vegan goods with messages and images of compassion and veganess. Help spread the word, create a conversation, it's a way to get noticed and your views known.

Animal Rescue needing Donations

2009-01-22T12:31:00.003Z

I came accross this notice on www.veganvillage.co.uk, and wanted to help pass it around:

Small Quality Items Needed For Greek Animal Rescue FundraisingSmall quality unwanted gifts, jewellery, bric-a-brac, needed for Greek Animal Rescue (www.greekanimalrescue.com) stall at Brighton Vegan Fayre (21st March). Thanks. Please contact annalaprade@aol.com

also please sign this petition:
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/petition/511566479
to try to help the poor sufferiing animals.

SASHA Farm Silent Auction

2009-01-19T18:34:00.004Z

SASHA is a farmed animal sanctuary in Manchester, Michigan. We have more than 200 rescued animals living on 65 beautiful acres, each one of them receiving all of the love and care our volunteers have to give. Our residents have come from a variety of rotten circumstances,but now each one has a safe place to call home for the rest of their lives. In order to raise the money needed to house, feed, and provide medical care for our animals, SASHA holds fundraisers like the SilentAuction. Donated items are put up for bid and our guests come armed with their wallets to support the farm! If you'd like to donate an item for the auction, we'd be grateful for the help! The value of your donation is tax deductible, and if you'd like to send along some business cards I'll display them with your item. Your etsy store address or website will also be listed on the bid sheet, so our attendees know where to find you. The deadline for donations (vegan items only, please!) is April 4. For more info about the farm, check out the website at www.sashafarm.org and the blog at www.sashafarm.org/blog/. My email is JasperKat2@yahoo, please contact me with any questions! And check out the album named "SASHA Farm Sanctuary if you'd like to see pics of some of our animals, they're pretty darn cute.

Etsyveg giveaway - win fabulous prizes!

2009-01-17T22:08:00.006Z

The wonderful Etsyveg team are having a contest to win these fabulous prizes. It's easy to enter, and the prizes are wonderful.
Just click on this link:
http://etsyveg.blogspot.com/2007/01/etsyvegs-first-giveaway.html
to find out more.

Sweet and Spicy Root Soup - a real winter warmer!

2009-01-17T21:01:00.011Z

This evening I made a very hearty winter soup and for once, I wrote down the ingredients, so I have the recipe! The idea came from a soup that I bought, but when I went shopping for the ingredients, to make my own, realised I hadn't brought the list, so I did it from memory. The recipe turned out quite different, as I had forgotten quite a few things and added my own. The end result was far tastier than the bought one, and I suspect much more nutritious. The soup was made very thick, but of course could be watered down to suit your taste. I used root vegetables, as they are in season in winter. I try to eat seasonal foods whenever I can, cuts out transport costs, and it kind of makes the seasons a bit different. I definitely prefer soups in the winter. This soup is sweet and spicy, and of course you can adjust the seasoning to taste.

I made it using 2 pots, one to cook the 'base' of the soup, one to cook the 'body'. The idea being I put the 'base' on first, while I prepared the veg for the 'body', then the 'body' cooking overlapped with the 'base' it could be done using one pot, but would need to be done in 2 stages. I used a ready mixed extra spicy Cajun mix, as I'm not too clever at mixing spices, but if you know how, all the better.

The recipe:

For the base -
I vegetable stock cube
4 good size carrots
2 large potatoes
1 medium onion
a knob of vegan 'butter'
ground black pepper to taste

For the 'body'
2 medium potatoes
1 small sweet potato
1 orange pepper
2 medium carrots
1 small turnip
small (or half) swede
1 large parsnip
4 cloves garlic
1 large onion
8 leaves coriander
half lime
half teaspoon extra spicy Cajun mix

Cooking instructions:
For the base-

Peel , chop, the onion, carrots, and potatoes. heat a small amount of water in a large pot, add the stock cube. Add the chopped onion, carrots and potatoes. Bring to the boil, and let it cook, keeping a check that the water does not boil dry, add water as needed, but do not have too much water in the pan at any time. Stir occasionally. After 15 minutes, add the 'butter' and the black pepper. continue to cook until the veg is soft. This should take about another 10/15 mins.

While all this is going on, start preparing the 2nd part, the 'body' of the soup. Peel and chop all the veg, put in large pot and boil, continue cooking for 10 minutes. Add the extra spicy Cajun mix spices, let it simmer, until the veg is cooked, stirring occasionally.

For the 'body'

While this is cooking, the first pot should be ready (the veg is cooked, little water and very soft potatoes starting to break up). Put all of this (including any water left) in a food processor, or blender, whatever kitchen appliance you have. If you don't have any, you could mash it all up to a smooth paste. the idea is to blend it to a smooth paste to add the chunky veg to.

When the 2nd pot of veg is ready, take off the cooker, add the veg you have blended, also add the chopped coriander and squeeze the lime juice into it. Mix it all up, put it back on the stove and heat up until it is just 'bubbling' stir and let it simmer for about 2 or 3 minutes.
then it is done.

You should end up with a tasty sweet and spicy soup, which from preparation start to finish takes about an hour, if you're like me and a slow, cook, who gets a bit distracted now and again. It makes about 4 bowls of soup, which is nice with a piece of bread, and very satisfying.

I really must get a larger cook pot, and freeze some dishes for ready meals another day.

Well here it is, or rather there it was.......

2009-01-14T21:28:00.007Z

To my delight, the Co-Op in Pontllanfraith stock these wonderful raspberry iced buns, which are vegan. So of course whenever I'm there, I stock up on them. To my delight, they also had apple lattice slices. How fab is that. probably non vegans see these as everyday accessible products, but being VEGAN, they are not. They are such a treat.

So here is my review of them:

Raspberry iced buns- a delicious sweet , oh yes sweet, fix. White 'bread' or 'dough' or whatever it is called, with a raspberry jam filling, topped with a PINK icing. Junk heaven! delicious! one is never enough - need I say more.........

Apple lattice slice. I like this. Puff pastry, sweet apple filling. Not as sweet as r.i.b. (raspberry iced bun), but very nice with a cup of tea, and again being Vegan, a real treat. probably would have been better re-heated, but hey, i wasn't gonna waste time! Another fabulous vegan delight from the C0-Operative.

http://www.co-operative.coop/food/

both come in multi packs, so as they say 'one is never enough' - don't worry- there's a whole pack!

Vegan Ready Made Meals - no problem at the Co-Operative stores

2009-01-12T18:42:00.016Z

Today I'm talking about convenience food, not always so convenient if you're vegan. Luckily the Co-op are good at labelling foods as suitable for Vegans, they're also good at labelling other products 'no animal ingredients', so it's fab and easy to shop there.

Today I tried the ready made Orzo Salad. i didn't know what orzo salad was, but it looked nice, and it's not often i find convenience foods that are vegan suitable. a little on the pricey side for my budget (it was £2+), but maybe not everyone would think so? it was colourful, and had small pasta bits that looked like large rice. It contained sundried tomatoes, onions, chives, tomatoes and pepper, and it said spinach, although there was really not much evidence of that. I liked the taste and texture, it was slightly on the vinegar side in places, but i made the mistake of adding a pinch of salt, when all it really needed was to be mix up a bit. an excellent light lunch, and very convenient.

General website and store locator:

http://www.co-operative.coop/ check out if there's one near you!

Orzo salad packed.

Beautiful array of colours.

Vegan Haggis - one answer to the worn out question "what do vegans eat"

2009-01-11T21:20:00.010Z

I have decided to write reviews of products, this is the first, so a bit of background comes with this post. there will be several categories :- food, products, places, etsy purchases. The food will all be vegan, since I am vegan. the places will have a vegan slant on them, as it'll include places to eat, accommodation, days out and such. And of course products and etsy purchases will all be vegan suitable.

Tonight we tried Vegan Haggis. It took quite a long time to cook, as I do not have a microwave, and the instructions said 45 minutes in the oven. I have never eaten haggis, nor will I (being vegan), but when I saw this in our local health food shop, I thought I'd give it a try.

I would like to point out that i duid not buy it to see what Haggis tasted like, since I have no desire to know. I have been asked why vegans eat thing that imitate meat or animal products such as milk cheese, all I can say to that is, to me, it's just a savoury taste, and in no way do i miss or crave 'the real thing', I enjoy a nut roast as much as a veggie sausage if it is tasty and well made.

I cooked vegetables to go with the haggis, as several internet searches led me to some interesting sites about haggis and Scottish tradition, here are some of the sites i read:

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080121190845AAZ1d0v

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haggis

http://haggishunt.scotsman.com/haggisclopedia.cfm?part=9

Very interesting stuff- address the haggis ??????? tatties????????

I think haggis is traditionally eaten with mashed turnips and mashed potatoes. Since i didn't have turmips, and the potatoes were 'new potatoes', I decided just to boil/steam some potatoes and veg, including - runner beans, green beans, carrots, broccoli, courgette, and to saute some mushroms and onions, adding some herb salt and black pepper. I used a quick, sure thing for gray - Bisto, which incidentally the original one is vegan suitable, yay! I also topped the dinner with crushed garlic mixed with a little freshly squeezed lemon juice and olive oil.

The dinner was delicious. the veg and gravy fabulous as usual, as I always say 'nutricious and delicious'. The Haggis was unusual, slightly sweet, grainy (tasting that is, not texture), on it's own, not my kind of thing, but with the veg and gravy it was nice. a bit different at first, but by the end of it, i would say delicious, and I'd certainly have it again.

Check out your local veggie/health food shop and see if they stock it:

The Veggie haggis in it's wrapper, it states 'vegan' on the back!

Makes website: http://www.macsween.co.uk/product-range/cooking-tips/vegetarian-haggis

the veggie haggis out of it's wrapper, ready to cover in tin foil and bake.

The end result was a very tasty satisfying dinner. The veggie haggis broke up a bit in the cutting, but that didn't matter.

Getting obsessed with my cats!

2009-01-11T18:23:00.009Z

Or maybe that should be 'Getting obsessed with taking photos of my cats'.

The more I use my camera, the more I want to use it. not that it's a particularly good one, or even that I'm particularly good at taking photographs, it's just that lately, I see something and I run for my camera. My camera is a Kodak easyshare CX7330, which is a couple of years old, and certainly only suitable for a novice. It'll do for me for now.

Today I looked into the bedroom and saw Billy, Ruby and Pinkie sleeping on the futon bed. they looked so adorable. Ruby on the end, curled up in a ball, Billy in the middle stretched 0ut, and Pinkie up the other end on a fabulous fluffy cushion. Since I put the futon down as a bed, Pinkie never wants to come off it. She will go for some food and straight back to 'bed'. Lucky cat!

Here are the pictures I captured, of their cozy moments:

The only photo I got with the three of them in, as Ruby then ran off to play. So here's Ruby cleaning herself, Billy very comfortable, and you can just about see Pinkie in the background.

This is Billy very relaxed and lounging!

Just look how his paws are 'begging'.

Pinkie is just so relaxed on her favourite cushion!

True Love

2009-01-11T00:04:00.007Z

Billy is about 4 years old, Pinkie is about 2 years old. Ever since Pinkie first set eyes on Billy, she has had a major crush. She adores him. She follows him around everywhere, just hoping for a bit of attention from him. he mostly isn't interested, or doesn't even notice her. then just the other day, I found him cleaning/licking her. She was in heaven. I was so happy that she was having some attention from him, that she so longed for. It was pure bliss for Pinkie, and a magic moment caught on camera for me.

CATCH Cardiff Cat Rescue Christmas Fair

2009-01-02T19:07:00.012Z

A little late in posting, but I've only just got around to sorting out photos.

On 29th November, I help a local cat rescue group (CATCH- feral cat rescue), with their Christmas fair. It was a long, cold day, with an early start. We collected donated otems at a central point (the leader of the rescue group's house), and took them to the school hall for the fair. A lot of carrying later, we were in the hall setting up. Luckily, the organiser, Heather, had made a plan of the hall, so we knew where to put everything. My contribution to the stalls, were handmade catnip toys, and vegan cupcakes. I was very impressed with my cupcakes, as this is the first time I've made them. I used a recipe from the marvelous book 'Vegan Cupcakes Take over the world', which is delightful to read, and had the most scrumptious recipes ever. I made the basic cupcakes, with lemon oil in the frosting, and the chocolate cupcakes. Both were delicious. Of course I made enough to have some myself :)

The day was very busy. Lots of bric-a-brac was sold, along with many , many homemade cakes and raffle tickets. I helped out on the haberdashery stall, which was not too busy, but it was fun, chatting with other helpers and visitors. The fair was from 12pm-4pm. We were all glad when it ended, it seemed like a long and cold day, and it was tiring being on our feet all day. Everyone was cheerful, and the rescue group made enough money to fay for quite a few neutering and medical bills for the coming year.

Here are some picture of the day, oh and, all the helpers wore christmas hats and outfits!!!!

a welcome break for some happy helpers!

For my darlings - Peter and Crew

2008-12-30T16:28:00.005Z

CREW PETER

It is such a sad time. 2 of our wonderful cats recently died. they died of old age. they died at home. they died relatively peacefully (?). But there is no easy way to lose loved ones. the house seems emptier now, it's quite surprising the difference it makes. Even though we still have 3 dogs and 5 cats, the 2 oldies liked attention, needed care, and lots, oh yes, lots, of cleaning up after them, so there is a BIG void.

My darling Crew was with me since birth. i actually saw her being born. the first kitten from my darling Taddy (now gone too). I can still remember her little face poking out of the birth sac. the little black and white nose. so tiny. Crew was one of three. One poor little one didn't survive. She was grey and I called her Silver. She died after a few days. she had a cleft palette, and who knows what else. the other 2, I named Motley and Crew. Motley was a big and strong male. such a bruiser. Crew was quieter, more demure, quite unassuming. She grew fairly plump, in a lovely plush way. Motley always demanded attention, Crew was happy to have attention when she was given it. They were adorable. First Motley died. i think about 4 years ago. He had stomach cancer. he went from being a strong healthy cat, to fading away, skinny, weak. I still miss him so. Taddy, the mothercat, was very intelligent, and used to love company. She would 'talk' with us, in the kitchen, and her head would turn and follow our conversations. She was very much the matriarch, and would stand for no nonsense from the others. And they respected that. She died at home about 2 years ago. She had a growth at the side of her head. For years. We often had it 'drained off' at the vets, but over time it became solid, and grew, and nothing could be done. Right up to the night before she died she was fine, chatting away, and demanding her treats as usual. By the morning she had had a stroke. i phoned the vets and arranged to take her there, but withing a short while, she was gone. It was a relief not to have to take her there.

Crew became the new matriarch. She kind of loved the new authority, and became bolder, more demanding, or was that just old age giving her a sense of confidence. She loved her treats. Peter joined out family just about 15 months ago. He was a rescued cat, who became homeless again, after his rescuer had a massive stroke and all her cats (and there were many), had to be re-homed. I found him a home with friends of mine, who had a shop. he lived in the kitchen and outside, or in the shop. Eventually (6 years later), they sold the shop, and Peter was looking for another home. Oh well, what's one more, after all who else would take on such an old scruffy looking cat (he had now become). No idea how old he actually was. he had a square cut out of his tongue, no idea how, and he used to let his tongue drop out of the side of his mouth, quite a sight. He soon settled in, and put us all in our place! he formed a bond with Crew, which we called 'The Oldies Club'. He learned that if he followed Crew into the kitchen, he would get treats too. believe me, those two would wait, and stare for hours, until you just had to give in, and give them what they wanted. Who could refuse. Peter developed a thyroid condition. He had meds, which didn't seem to help much at all. Over time both Peter and Crew, grew older, more frail, but still wonderfully sprightly and demanding! Gradually, we knew their end would not be too far away. They cuddled up together. They both got thinner and thinner, although Crew seemed to be worse, we expected her to be the first to go. One day Peter was having trouble breathing, he laid down and couldn't get up. We knew it was the end. we both sat with him, talked quietly to him, said our goodbyes, and he was gone. So sad. The grief was unbearable, but life goes on, we got ourselves together and got through that day. the next day Crew was near the end of her life.She couldn't lift herself. It was Christmas Eve. She started having convulsions (spasms), I rang the vets, only to find they had finished early for Christmas. there was the option for the emergency vets, but I so didn't want to put her through that journey. She didn't last much longer. A big sigh and struggle for breath, and she was gone too. My poor, sweet Crew, who had lived with me for 17 years, and was the last of my original 3 (Taddy, Motley and Crew). the house just isn't the same without them. Bless them both, and may they rest in peace, young and happy, and pain free forever, in their Cat Heaven, meeting up with their friends and family from the past. taking with them a little piece of my heart.

Christmas Room to Help Animals

2008-12-12T11:12:00.004Z

The wonderful organisation 'It'sMeowOrNever' have set up a virtual Christmas Room to raise funds for their animal shelter. It's a fabulous idea to raise funds and very festive. This is my understanding of how it works:
Shops have donated 'virtual gifts', which have been listed in the Christmas Room, with a donation amount under it. Anyone can buy a donation, and the virtual gift will appear in the Christmas Room, to help decorate it. It's such a fun, novelty idea. The room has already started to be decorated, check it out at: http://www.itsmeowornever.org/xmas/xmas_room.asp

AND THE WINNERS ARE:

2008-11-30T00:02:00.002Z

Hi All
I loved every single one of your entries, it was hard to choose winners. If my sewing machine hadn't broken down, I would have made lots more cat nip toys and given one to every entrant. However, my machine is now dead (or at leats resting :( ) so the winners are:
Jen M.http://dragonrags.etsy.com
and
http://www.blogger.com/profile/12674734515964476954 Annette F Tait
well done both , i loved your entries.
I'll get in touch with you both and arrange for a catnip toy to be sent to you both,

Thanks all who entered, hope you enjoyed it as much as I did.

Caption Contest to win a Catnip Toy.

2008-11-24T12:32:00.008Z

While the beautiful Ruby was in a chilled out mood, I decided to have a bit of fun. Her favourite toy is a soft plush rat. So the rat decided to hop onto Ruby and be take a nap. The photos are hilarious.

Now for the contest:

Take a look at the 3 photos of Ruby below, I've called 'Rat on a Cat', and make up a caption to suit the photos. Post your caption the comments area below. The contest runs from now until 6pm Saturday 28th November (GMT). The winner will be the poster of the most imaginative/original caption, and one that makes me laugh out loud. There will be two winners, each receiving a Catnip Toy, as pictured in my previous post.

Have a go- your cat will love you for it :)

Don't forget to leave me a contact email, to let you know if you have won. Good luck, and I look forward to seeing your captions!

Rules: Please keep it clean, i don't want to be shocked. The contest is international. you can post as many captions that you think are suitable. The winners are chosen by myself based on my opinion of the most original and the funniest. Contest closes 6pm (GMT) Saturday 28th november 08. My decision is final. There is no cash alternative prize.

Catnip Toys for Playful Cats.

2008-11-23T19:51:00.006Z

I've had a very busy day today, making catnip mini pillows for several causes.
Next Saturday I am helping out at a christmas fair to raise funds for a local cat group. I offered to make catnip toys. I've also offered to make Vegan cupcakes, which of course I can't make until next Friday (the day before the event). I have also decided to hols a contest here, on my blog, and award a catnip toy to 2 lucky winners. Contest to be posted tomorrow (Monday). Also I am donating 2 catnip mini pillows to the Etsy group http://handmade4hounds.etsy.com/ , for their shop to help raise funds for rescued greyhounds. I am a member of the group. the other Etsy shop i am donating 2 to, is http://awbar.etsy.com/ , again to raise funds in their shop. AWBAR stands for 'Abandoned Wild Baby Animal Rescue'. Check out these groups they're doing fab work helping very needy animals. if you're not one of the lucky winners fro the contest, you could consider buying some catnip toys from wither of these shops, yuo then get to help them raise funds for needy animals at the same time!
I will try to take some photos at the fair next Saturday.

here's a photo of the catnip mini pillows: quite a batch!

These are the 2 that will be the prizes in the contest:
So keep a look out tomorrow for the contest, one of these catnip toys could be on it's way to you.
To see the ones i have donated to the Etsy shops, check out:
http://handmade4Hounds.etsy.com and http://awbar.etsy.com

OrnaMonkeys

2008-10-17T23:40:00.004+01:00

This OrnaMonkey was created by http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5295903 http://recycledideas.etsy.com/
Holly from Recycledideas wrote the following about OrnaMonkeys:
OrnaMonkeys are monkey ornaments made from felt to resemble real species of monkeys. One monkey is released each month. Each species is chosen for its charismatic face, interesting social habits or other oddities which make the species unique among primates. Each monkey is collectible and comes with a dated bio-blurb about the species and its conservation status. The felt is eco-spun felt that is 100% post-consumer recycled plastic bottles.The Monkey of the Month Club gives people a different OrnaMonkey each month for a year. Membership spaces become available in November and are offered at a discount. Each member who signs up before December 31 will receive twelve 2009 OrnaMonkeys for only $99 plus S&H ($168 if purchased individually), a savings of more than 40%. Species to be included are: lemurs, macaques, marmosets, langurs, tamarins, titi monkeys and more. The shipping and handling fee covers the cost of shipping all 12 monkeys ($2 per monkey).The OrnaMonkeys are a fun way to learn more about the beautiful diversity of primates from a real primatologist - me! In 2007 I earned a PhD in evolutionary psychology. My research focused on mutual grooming among primates and I've taught classes in comparative primate behavior at various universities in the U.S. I love teaching people about primates and these little guys allow me to reach an audience outside of a university setting.

fabulous and fascinating!

For ALL Etsy members, join in, Celebrate!

2008-09-26T09:56:00.002+01:00

Hop into the http://Etsy.com site and check out the forums. There's a party going on around there! Join in the celebration with a contest I organised!

Happy Birthday EFA Poetry Contest!From September 26-28!Celebrate the EFA Team Store's birthday in your own special way by writing a verse, poem, limerick or ode to EFA.This is the 4th and FINAL EFA Birthday Bash ContestOpen to all Etsy members!1. Your verse must be animal related.2. It must be between 4 and 8 lines (inclusive).3. The mood of the entry is up to you, but remember it is to CELEBRATE EFA's 1st Birthday.4. Only one entry per contestant.5. All entrants must be Etsy members (non-EFA members are welcome!).6. Enter by posting your poem in this Etsy forum thread:7. Post must be dated no later than September 28th MIDDAY (EST)8. Important - please note! By entering, you attest that you are the sole copyright holder of the verse, poem, limerick or ode, and you agree that EFA Artists Helping Animals may use the entry in any EFA-related publicity, such as but not limited to electronic and printed media.All qualifying entries will earn the entrant a chance to win a fabulous prize donated by an EFA member. In addition, at least two winners will be chosen by an independent panel for originality, inspiration, animalization. Winners will be announced at approx 2pm (EST) Sunday 28th September, in the Etsy forums, and will be contacted by convo.Any queries please contact http://midnightrabbits.etsy.com/