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

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!

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.

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

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

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.

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

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

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.

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

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!

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!!!!

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

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!

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.................

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

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

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.....................

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.

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!

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!