A look at the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society

Sea Shepherd Conservation Society – Helping Protect Our Oceans and its Inhabitants

If you have visited my shop on ArtFire you might have seen that for some of my prints, part of the proceeds go to the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society (SSCS). For my guest blog post for the Crafting for Animals Guild on ArtFire, I have chosen to write about this important organization.

The founder of Sea Shepherds, Captain Paul Watson, parted ways with Greenpeace in 1977. The same year he co-founded the Earthforce Environmental Society in Vancouver, Canada along with Ron Precious, Starlet Lum and Captain Al "Jet" Johnson (co-founder of Greenpeace) . It was the predecessor for the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society.

The Earthforce Environmental Society purchased its first ship in 1978 with the financial help from Cleveland Amory of the Fund for Animals. The ship was named Westella but the society renamed it Sea Shepherd. Since their early beginning, the Sea Shepherds have embarked on more than 200 voyages, defending and saving marine life.

Their mission is to end the destruction of habitat and slaughter of wildlife in the world's oceans. This will conserve and protect species and our ecosystems. The Sea Shepherd works to ensure the survival of our ocean ecosystems for future generations, or as Captain Paul Watson has said on the TV series Whale Wars, “If our oceans die, we die.”

Here is a video from the Sea Shepherd's official Youtube channel.



An Animal Planet video, showing part of the Whale Wars series:


Thank you for learning more about whales and our oceans.

Gunilla Wachtel
Kanweienea Kreations

--Submitted by Gunilla of Kanweienea Kreations. Gunilla is an artist who sells her original artwork and fine art prints through ArtFire. Artwork includes orcas, horses, dogs and more.

Keeping Mosquitoes & Other Insects Off You & Your Pets

It is summertime in the northern hemisphere! And that means mosquitoes are going to be on the rampage. Did you know there are more than 170 species of mosquitoes? Yikes! It’s the female mosquito we have to worry about. Male adult mosquitoes feed mostly on flower nectar and do not bite humans. However, female mosquitoes require high-protein blood meals to produce eggs, feeding every 3 to 4 days. Some will feed on animals but many species prefer humans!

Since many people will be outside with their pets more when the weather is nice, there is always the dilemma of how to keep mosquitoes and other insects from ruining the time you, your family, friends, and pets spend outside. Here are some bug repellents that are all natural and easy to make for humans and pets:

Natural Bug Repellent Recipe for Humans
2 cups witch hazel
1 teaspoon vegetable glycerin
20 drops citronella essential oil
20 drops lemon grass essential oil

Instructions: Mix in a spray bottle and shake well before use. Be sure to always shake well before using. Just spray on any areas of exposed skin. (Some people say that using just lemon grass oil by itself is enough to keep biting bugs away if you wish to try just that one ingredient.)

Natural Bug Repellent for Pets and Humans
1 BIG lemon with a thick rind
1 tablespoon of crushed rosemary leaves
1 quart of boiling water
1 large spray bottle

Directions: Slice your lemon paper thin and place the slices in a bowl. Add the crushed rosemary leaves to the lemon slices. Pour the boiling water over the lemon and rosemary and give a light stir. Let this mixture steep overnight (steep means to let the ingredients sit together in hot or warm water). Strain the liquid out from the lemon rinds and rosemary leaves, and put the liquid into a large spray bottle and keep in the refrigerator. Shake well to mix ingredients before applying to skin of people or pets.

This mix should be used twice a week to keep fleas and other insects away. In heavy flea areas or when you are planning on having your pet outdoors, spray their feet and stomach areas to keep pests from jumping up on them.

Another Idea: Another natural solution is tea tree oil. This works well as an insect repellent for people, as well as pets, so that makes it even more useful. Spraying a repellent onto our skin or pets is one good way to apply a repellent. But, since this is an oil, it could leave an oily spot on clothing. However, you can spray it onto your skin and hair in diluted form. Tea Tree oil is also one of only a few essential oils that you can place undiluted on your skin if you choose to, and that technique is called "neat." This oil is reported to repel mosquitoes, lice, ants, and many other types of biting insects. It also is said to be able to soothe insect bites and stings and some have said it helps in removing ticks. Here is a recipe:

Tea Tree Oil Insect Repellent
1 large misting spray bottle
2 oz of organic tea tree oil
Water

Directions: Pour the 2 ounces of organic tea tree oil into the spray bottle and fill the rest with water. Spray the solution in a mist onto the skin and rub in gently. Reapply as needed.

**Don't despair if you really don't have time to make one of these solutions! There is a great item available for sale called "Only Natural Pet Herbal Defense Insect Repellent Spray for Pets". And, it can also be used on people! Here's the link to find out more about this:

http://www.petco.com/product/111180/Only-Natural-Pet-Herbal-Defense-Insect-Repellent-Spray-for-Pets.aspx

So, fellow animal lovers and crafters, there are many natural ways to keep pesky bugs off you and your pets while outdoors any time of the year where this is an issue in your area. I have had these tips in my files for a long time but these and similar recipes and other ideas can be found with a little research online as well.

Happy summer, everyone! And please remember, NEVER EVER leave a pet in a closed vehicle no matter how short the amount of time you think you will be away.

---Submitted by Debra of Sleepy Cat Designs; Debra is a life-long animal lover and seamstress/crafter who loves to find ways to make life easier and safer without spending gobs of money!

Meet Mary Frances by Pam Todd

This is Mary Frances. She is one of 52 chickens that my friends, Bill and Clarice, have in their flock.

A coupe of weeks ago, they went to feed the chickens and found Mary Frances lying on her side. She was dehydrated from the heat. They took her straight to their house, where it was cool, and placed a bowl of water on the floor. She drank and drank and drank that first day. But, she didn’t eat. The second day, she drank less and started eating a little bit. They offered her corn and chicken feed. The day I stopped to visit, and purchase some fresh brown eggs, my friends and Mary Frances were all sitting outside in the yard. I asked whether the beautiful chicken was their newest pet. That’s when they told me the story of her dehydration.

Clarice said, “She thinks she has her own private motel now,” and grinned. I asked, “Why is that?” Bill answered, “Well at night she comes into the house and sleeps in a cage.” Then I asked what she does during the day. They said that when they are outside in the lawn chairs, she stays close by, hunting for food in the lawn. She likes bits of grass, too, they said. When they are inside the house, Mary Frances stays on the patio, under the picnic table.

I asked how long it would take Mary Frances to fully recover. They thought about two more weeks, and then she would return to the flock and continue providing the fresh brown eggs that these well cared for, naturally fed chickens are producing.

When I think about the loving care my friends are giving to their chickens, I am thankful. And when I think how delicious those eggs are, I feel fortunate that Bill and Clarice and their 52 chickens are just down the road. And when I look at Mary Frances, with her beautiful golden brown feathers, well, she is just simply adorable. I was so glad I stopped by.



This post written by Pam Todd, http://www.bagsandmorebypam.artfire.com/, an avid animal lover, who is fascinated and loves learning about all kinds of animals. Pam hand crochets items for people, pets, and homes. She contributes annually to The Elephant Sanctuary in Hohenwald, Tennessee and provides gift certificates to fund-raisers benefitting animal shelters and rescue organizations.

LiveJournal Tags: chickens,hens,eggs,farmers,animal lovers,pets,bagsandmorebypam,cfaguild

Winslow Farm Animal Sanctuary Holiday Arts and Crafts Festival Seeking Artists

The Winslow Farm Animal Sanctuary will be hosting their annual Arts and Crafts festival in Norton, Massachusetts, on Saturday, September 10, 2011. They are now seeking artisans to fill their booths.


Booth application fee is $25 + 15% of sales.


I've never attended this craft fair (I've never been to Norton, Massachusetts) but I have donated to this Sanctuary. However, if you have experience with the fair, please leave a comment below.


Further information can be found here.


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El is the woman behind Tantalizing Stitches, an online store that supplies your favorite bag making hardware. At Tantalizing Stitches, a portion of the proceeds are donated to animal charity.

CFA Member Supports The Francisvale Home for Small Animals

 

Linda of Jazzitup Jewelry Design introduced me to The Francisvale Home for Small Animals, an animal organization she supports. Although Linda does not have enough time in the day to volunteer woman hours for the shelter, she does what she cans by donating funds. She does this by selling her jewelry. In fact, now she even has a section in her store called "Animal Rescue Jewelry" where 100% of the purchase price is donated to her favorite animal organizations (currently The Francisvale Home and Montgomery County SPCA).

The Francisvale Home is located in Radnor, Pennsylvania and specializes in placing homeless four legged creatures in loving and caring homes.

I've never visited the place myself, but their website provides so much information that you really get to know the type of help they provide. For example, they have posted a bio of Skip, a resident looking for a home. Skip is a five year old Rat terrier with lots of spunk. He is looking for a home after his caretaker moved into a Senior Home. He loves to run after tennis balls and is well trained in the art of "give paw" and "roll over". If you want to visit Skip, feel free to call him at 610-688-1018.

Then there is Juliet. She is a six year old domestic shorthair. I am not so sure if she is still available since her bio was published last year but she sure is a cutie. Juliet seems to really like to hang out. She is affectionate, loving, and talkative and likes being the boss. (She really reminds me of my cat Luthar whose worst enemy are cats and best friends are dogs.) Anyways, who can say no to Juliet?

There are many more beauties waiting to be adopted. You can find them here and here. 

However, if you are anyone like me, you already have a houseful of animals and can't take in anymore. There are other ways to help. Besides the usual monetary donation, you could donate toys, bedding, collars, leashes, and many other needed items for these creatures. I find that donating something material (especially handmade) makes the gifting more intimate and real.

You can find The Francisvale Home on Facebook and Twitter. 

Animal Rescue Jewelry by Jazzitup Jewelr...

Curated By: TantalizingSt...

ArtFire.com

Unique Gifts

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El is the woman behind Tantalizing Stitches, an online shop full of bag making hardware. El is also an avid crocheter and animal lover.

Is Humane Treatment for Farm Animals too Much to Ask?

A letter to the editor in our local newspaper certainly caught my attention.  The writer called attention to Factory Farming and the fact that three states are attempting to pass or have already passed legislation to prohibit videotaping or audio taping of conditions on their farms.  Meat, egg, and dairy producers in these states favor such legislation as they do not wish to have the inhumane treatment of animals publicized.

The letter writer gave some examples of farms with less than acceptable treatment of the animals: one in Texas where calves were chained in tiny crates and then bludgeoned to death with pickaxes and one in California that was found to be putting live chicks into a grinder.  He also mentioned the recall of millions  of eggs due to salmonella contamination at an Iowa farm.

He continued by saying that such horrible conditions will probably not change.  The writer suggested that people avoid eating animal products.  Other websites I checked suggested the same, as well as being sure our senators and representatives are aware that we care about how animals are treated and want regulations in place to assure that they are cared for in a humane way. 

Here are some links that you may wish to check out, giving more information about the laws mentioned above, and some of the conditions that have been exposed by undercover animal rights investigators.

http://www.naturalnews.com/032274_factory_farms_animals.html

http://votersforanimals.org/issues-legislation/current-legislation-2011-2012/minnesota-legislators-aim-to-ban-whistleblowers-from-exposing-inhumane-conditions-in-puppy-mills-and-factory-farms/

It is my hope that we will find ways to support the humane treatment of animals that provide milk, eggs, and meat as part of our food supply.

This blog post written by Pam Todd, a member of the Crafting for Animals Guild on Artfire, an avid animal lover, and whose shop www.bagsandmorebypam.artfire.com features hand-crocheted items for people, pets, and homes.

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