Redley meets Redstart.

 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.

 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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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..........

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?