This Is For the Birds………………………………………,,,,,,,,,,..Pam Todd

     One of the things my husband enjoys most is feeding the birds during the winter months.  He has placed a couple of feeders in our back yard, which can be seen through our patio doors.  This year he hung a feeder on our front porch so he can watch from his recliner as the birds come to eat.

     In our part of Indiana,  about 50 miles south of Indianapolis, we see lots of cardinals (our state bird), many doves, finches, woodpeckers, blue jays, and blackbirds.  The feeders are filled every day and emptied every day.  Seed is also sprinkled on the ground around the feeder for the doves. Feeders in the back are near a huge pine tree so that birds can fly there for protection from hawks that may swoop by at any time.  The one on the porch is protected under the overhang, and no hawks have been seen there.

     We use a wild bird seed mixture, which is not only loved by the birds, but also the deer that appear daily in our yard.  Lately, my husband has been bringing the two backyard feeders into the house for the night to prevent the deer from knocking them off their hangers.  We know the deer still come and clean up any seed that has fallen to the ground.

     Because of the severity of this year’s winter cold and snows, we know that providing feed for the birds is essential and most welcome.  And, it is enjoyable watching them fly in, sit on a perch, and eat their fill. Winter bird feeding is a win-win for all!

     You can read more tips on bird feeding at the link below:

http://birding.about.com/od/birdfeeders/a/winterfeeding.htm

Blog post provided by Pam Todd, www.bagsandmorebypam.artfire.com, a member of the Crafting for Animals Guild on Artfire.  Pam’s shop features crocheted items for people, pets, and homes.

LiveJournal Tags: birds,feeding birds,birds in winter,wildlife,bird watching,animals,cardinals,blue jays,finches,doves,woodpeckers,hawks,deer

How to make a catnip mouse by CreativeCritters

I've been making catnip mice and other catnip toys for my own cats for years. After I started making them as gifts for friends and family, I found out just how popular they really were! They're not hard to make, and they're a good way to recycle scraps of fabric. I grow my own organic catnip, which I sell in 1/2 ounce bags at CreativeCritters. This catnip is perfect for stuffing toys, or sprinkling on your cats favorite areas.

To make a catnip mouse you'll need:

• dried catnip,
• cardboard pattern for body and ears,
• scrap fabric,
• yarn,
• needle,
• thread,
• marker, and
• scissors

I just drew a very simple mouse shape onto cardboard for the body pattern and a large rounded ear pattern. Fold your fabric so the right side (the side that will show when the mouse is finished) is on the inside. Trace two ears and one body pattern onto the wrong side (the side that will be inside the mouse when he's done) of the fabric using a marker. Be sure to mark an opening on the body for turning and stuffing.

Sew around the ears, leaving the bottom open for turning. I sew these by hand and use a small back stitch. Cut the ears and body out, leaving about 1/4" to 1/2" seam allowance. Before sewing the body, we want to make the tail. Decide how long you want the tail to be and cut 9 strands of yarn (I chose red and green to match the fabric). Tie them together at the top with a strong knot, then braid them tightly together, tying them at the bottom.

Take the tail and place it between the layers of the body, with the knot sticking out and the rest of the tail inside the mouse. As you sew the body, be sure to trap the tail in the seam. I recommend sewing over this area a few times, just to be sure your cat can't pull the tail out.

Now you're ready to turn your mouse right side out and stuff him with catnip and fabric scraps.

After your mouse is firmly stuffed, sew up the opening securely using a ladder stitch and sew the ears onto the body. You can give your mouse all sorts of personality, depending on how you position his ears. Use yarn or embroidery thread to make the eyes (simple knots), and the whiskers, which can be as long as you choose. And this is what you end up with.



This little mouse will provide your cat hours of fun play time! Stop in toCreativeCritters to see my other catnip toys, or purchase some garden grown organic catnip for your furry friend!
Thanks for stopping by!
-Michelle of CreativeCritters

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I have two wonderful cats of my own who are very happy to be product testers for all my cat toys designs. Calcifer, my year old Maine Coone is my constant companion, no matter what I happen to be creating. You can also find fantasy sculptures, miniatures, stuffed animals, jewelry, and more at CreativeCritters.

Valentine's Day Contest

Enter for a chance to win one of these fun filled handmade items!

Valentines Day Co...

  Curated By: TSBeading

ArtFire.com

Handmade Gifts

Contest begins February 5!

All you need to do is search for two different Valentine phrases that are hidden within the item listings. Just click on the item and read through the item and you should easily spot it.

Then, submit your entry here.

The winner will be announced on February 13!

Anyone able to search through the items and submit their entry may enter. One entry per person. Void where prohibited.

Contest ends February 12, 2011.

Hosted by the Crafting for Animals Guild and The Native American Network!

My "Animal Welfare" column

Animal care, well-being, and welfare is a much debated topic around the world.  There are as many takes on the subject as there are people, and it seems that we can't all agree on what type and level of care the world's animals should have, if any.  It is because we can't agree that there is no universal standard, agreement or laws on how to best care for our fur covered, four-legged, winged, and finned brethren.  It seems to be a difficult subject for us human beings; a subject that has left many exhausted, frustrated, and feeling rather helpless.  How do we, as a society, decide on what's best?  Is there a Universal answer?

In the United States we have the Animal Welfare Act (AWA) that is enforced by the United States Department of Agriculture.  The Act was created in 1966 and has since been amended several times.  Although the Act was a major turn for the good in animal welfare, it is still wrought with issues that the Act does not cover.  For example, the Act covers some warm-blooded animals, but excludes the cold-blooded ones, and it doesn’t cover animals that are to be used as food or for clothing to name a few.  

With so many exclusions and loopholes, there are still many animals in human possession but not being cared for properly.  I have seen countless videos where the living quarters are cramped, the animals are starved, the animal’s various body parts are purposely and painfully altered for the benefit of the possessor.  I have also seen countless animals being hoarded, neglected and/or abused in people’s homes (another exclusion in the AWA.)  

I believe that our differences in opinion of how animals fit into our society stem from our early socialization experiences.  For example, if a person was brought up on a farm and taught that the farm animals were there to feed the family, then we grow up learning that animals are there to serve humans.  Although this example is basic, it may help us understand why we have so many varied viewpoints on what is best not only for us, but for the animals in our world as well.

I am writing all of this because the topic for my semi-monthly column is “animal welfare” and I will be delving into the many issues and controversies regarding animal welfare.  I want to express clearly that I understand that there are different positions and that I understand that we have different opinions, but I hope that my column can help us all understand that the world isn’t only about us humans, and it is egotistical to think that it is.  Further, I hope that I can raise some awareness and start some great discussions here on our blog.  I mentioned the AWA and the USDA because those are the laws that I am most familiar with.  Through this column I hope to learn about other laws and how they affect various viewpoints as well.  Perhaps through learning and understanding we can head in the direction of a Universal law regarding the treatment of animals.

Thank you all for your support in this endeavor, I hope to hear from many of you in the next year as we explore the realm of animal welfare.

Tsilos, 
TS Beading

Dogs That Serve…………………………………Pam Todd

     Our dogs are family members.  They love us, and we love them.  We play, eat, sleep, and share our daily lives with our dogs.  They are loyal, affectionate, smart, and lots of fun.  They have excellent eyesight and senses of smell.  They also sense our moods and know when we are sad or hurting physically or otherwise.  There have been countless stories about dogs waiting with injured owners or alerting others for help.  Because they are so intelligent and sensitive, dogs are trained to help people in many ways.

     There are service dogs for many physical and mental disabilities, such as blindness, seizures, even deafness.  Some dogs are trained to notify their owners when a doorbell rings.  Others are trained to guide the blind around obstacles and to assist them in safely crossing streets. Still others are trained to know when a seizure is about to occur and respond appropriately to their owner’s needs.  Dogs are trained to search for persons trapped under rubble and to aid in their rescue or retrieval.   Still others are being used to sniff the breath of people to identify those with cancer.  And what joy the dogs bring to those in nursing homes and hospitals when they visit patients in those places. 

     Whether the dog in your life is one whose main purpose is to give love and companionship or those things plus assist you in whatever way you may need, it can be said with assurance that dogs are special, loving, and loyal friends.  You may also be interested in reading  inspiring and heart warming stories about dogs helping people at this website:

http://www.petjoyonline.com/Service-Dog-Stories-s/214.htm

CFA Personal Pet Stories................by BJ

Juli-2011














This story was sent in to us by Jen of JenniferLynnProductions on Artfire and a CFA member. Jennifer is an award-winning artist and photographer with many interests. All items in her shop are created with the intention of honoring the Earth.
Thanks for this heartwarming story, Jen.
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I have eight cats, but for this post, I want to talk about Juli (pronounced “Julie.”) Juli came to me in 2004. It had been a very rainy 4th of July, and after having spent most of the day tromping around DC in ankle-deep rain, my partner at the time and I were home. As we walked up the street to get some refreshments for the evening, I stopped him. I had heard something...or rather felt something.

The traffic was very loud, so I realized I had felt it before I heard it: a series of small, desperate, lost meows coming from a nearby building. We were able to track down the location of the little one: She had been shut in, we think by accident, the basement of one of the apartment buildings in our complex. When we got there the door was unlocked.

The cat was very small and skinny. She had patches of hair missing from her ears, mainly. Despite her shyness, she did end up coming right up to me, and I was able to pick her up. She was just skin and bones. It was clear she'd been shut in this room for some time. We rushed her right home and took her to the vet immediately. We were told that, had we not found her, she probably would have died within a day or two. By her teeth, I realized that she was not a kitten at all, but was around a year or so old. The vet agreed with me, once he had looked at her. She was not spayed and had what turned out to be some sort of skin disease on her ears. Ultimately, we had to keep her sequestered for something insane like six weeks or so!

As she settled in, we were able to determine she had probably been a pet before, because she was not afraid of us, and we were able to get her to eat, which was a huge relief! Just to tell you how spoiled this cat has been from the start: In order to get her to eat, my ex bought and roasted her a chicken! Her very own chicken! For the first few weeks we had her, and occasionally after that,he would roast her chicken and she'd get that with her cat food. (Hey—whatever works!)

She did go into heat, but my other cats are spayed and neutered, and we still had her sequestered. I couldn't stand the racket and the “scheming,” though, so I paid extra and took a chance on having her spayed while she was in heat. Heat cycles are unpredictable. I have been told and have read that they can come into and out of heat very rapidly. I did not want to have to be on guard all the time.

I'm very grateful we found her, and I feel we were meant to. She bonded to us both very quickly and is to this day one of my most loyal cats. Getting her to eat has never been an issue. We think that, in the beginning when we found her, she simply couldn't get to food. She gets away with it, because she has such a cute, little face, a sweet smile, and a pretty, feminine, little meow.

I named her “Juli,” because we found her “on the fourth of Juli!” It was my turn to name a cat (yes, my ex and I took turns picking their names,) and I wanted to give her something festive and fitting. I ran through a whole bunch of seasonal names. Nothing fit, until I started to play with “July” and came up with “Juli.” When I said that name, Juli chirped in approval! (This was just on the way home from her former “prison!”)
Juli is spoiled and happy and fat now, and I think back to her beginnings, and I am so very grateful that she picked me to help her change her luck. She is my Julicakes, and I love her very much! Everybody does, really. I have one friend who would probably take her if he had a home where he could have a pet, and he's not even a cat person! Alas, she is spoken for.
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We always welcome stories from our Crafting for Animals Guild and Blog followers. The stories should be within your immediate family and about any of your past or present pets or animal rescues that you or a family member have been a part of. We welcome stories from all of our CFA Guild members and followers.
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