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Archive: Pets
July 30, 2009
DIY Aviary from Old Armoire
Amy at Empress of Creativity created a DIY aviary for her finches from an old armoire. Behind the scenes shots and more descriptions on the process can be found here.
Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu |
Jul 30, 2009 08:00 AM
Pets, Recycle |
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July 29, 2009
Cat Quilt from Old Jeans and T-Shirts
Dexter looks happy, no? Learn how to make a cat quilt from old jeans and t-shirts from Cristina at Karmology Clinic. I love the freeform stitches and appliqué touches. This is such a great way to get rid of your old clothes and keep kitty happy at the same time!
Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu |
Jul 29, 2009 05:00 PM
Pets, Refashion |
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How-To: Pirate Dog Costume
Calling all Salty Sea Dogs
Your matey will look shipshape in this piratical costume.
By Andrea DeHart
I've never owned a store-bought costume. I was one of those kids lucky enough to have
a super crafty mom who would jump on her sewing machine and whip up anything from a placemat to a prom dress without hesitation. When Halloween came around each year, she would fulfill our wildest fantasies no matter what the request. I loved my homemade costumes, and no other kid in school had a custom costume like mine. Following in my mom's footsteps, I too enjoy the thrill of the challenge. So when I was asked to design a canine costume, I said, "Aye, Cap'n!"
If you're looking to turn your dog pal into a swashbuckling seafarer with style, set your sights on this project. Moderate sewing skills are required, but the supplies will only set you back a couple of doubloons. Although the outfit was created for a pug, you can easily alter the pattern pieces to fit most small dogs.
Pirate accoutrements complete the costume; included in the pattern are a functional pirate hat and belt. Don't forget to pick up a miniature fake parrot for the shoulder (or train yours if you have a real one). Other pirate pizzazz to plunder: a small toy sword, a pouch filled with gold coins, an eye patch, a treasure chest, a large bone, and some gold hoop earrings. Mass-market costumes can walk the plank!
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Posted by Goli Mohammadi |
Jul 29, 2009 03:00 PM
Pets |
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Youdoodoll Make Your Pet into a Doll Kit
From the UK, Youdoodoll offers kits to make doll replicas of your dog (or your cat or your self, for that matter). The DIY dog doll kit comes with one blank pet, one collar, one iron-on transfer sheet, one doggy t-shirt, and instructions. You can order one in the States for under 20 bucks from Buy Olympia. For kicks, be sure to check out the photo gallery to see hilarious pics like this one of Mitzy:
Posted by Goli Mohammadi |
Jul 29, 2009 11:00 AM
Pets |
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Pet Spotlight: Kayte Terry's Rabbit, Potato
Crafter Kayte Terry of This is Love Forever has a cuddly bunny named Potato that likes to hang out while she crafts. How can she get any work done with this cute one around?
Name of Pet: Potato
Pet Type: Dwarf Hottot Rabbit
Favorite activity: Chewing, running, eating kale, hopping, mayhem
Favorite food: Any leafy green but kale in particular. He also loves cords, shoes straps and vintage books.
What does your pet do when you are crafting? Potato likes to "help". He picks up pieces of fabric with his teeth and tosses them around. Today I was sewing and turned around the see Potato sitting on my little tabletop ironing board, just sort of overseeing all my activity.
Best thing about your pet: He's so surprising. He is my first rabbit and getting to know a rabbit personality is really fun. I love when he does his crazy little spastic side-jumps. They are supposed to be expressions of pure joy.
If your pet could talk, what do you think he/she would say? Potato is constantly exploring and sniffing so I think he would just be like, "ooh, what's this? what's this? can I eat it?" on a constant loop.
Can you share a pet tip you've learned since having your pet? Don't give your rabbit too much sweet stuff. People always want to give him carrots but they should only have a tiny piece as a treat.
In crafty news, Kayte's got a brand new book coming out later this year, Appliqué Your Way published by Chronicle Books.
Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu |
Jul 29, 2009 10:00 AM
Pets |
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July 28, 2009
How-To: Homegrown Catnip
Catnip, Nepeta, is a pretty plant that will thrive in most everyone's garden. This potent plant is known for driving cats wild, a fact that often overshadows how lovely it is to grow.
Catnip is a flowering perennial, meaning once you plant it, it lives year after year. The leaves are silvery green and heart-shaped with a serrated edge. The flowers are generally pale purple and they look a little bit like a lavender flower. Harvest its leaves to entice the cat, and it will be a fun-filled addition to your landscape.
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Posted by Brookelynn |
Jul 28, 2009 01:00 PM
Home Decor, Pets |
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Birdie Potpourri
Birdie Potpourri
By Jessica Wilson
Years ago my mother had a mad love bird living in her home. My brother found it flying about the San Fernando Valley and presented it to her as a pet. The thing was crazy psychotic as many single love birds are wont to be, so my mother dubbed it Sid Vicious until one day she found a teeny tiny egg in her shoe. Turns out, this bird was a she and she rapidly became a manic nester. Sydney would shred any and all paper she came across and she would tug and pull loose threads from clothing, blankets, and towels. As an attempt to save her things from the rabid bird beak, my mom took to draping strands of ribbon and fabric near places where the bird chilled out. Here's my crafty take on making your own ball of birdie potpourri, which is an assortment of fibers and nest-building materials for your favorite birdie friend.You can also hang a few of these in the garden for those outdoor birdies. I've seen mourning doves and mocking birds fly away with my offerings. I've not seen a nest yet, but here's hoping.
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Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu |
Jul 28, 2009 12:00 PM
CRAFT Projects, Kids, Pets |
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Pet Spotlight: Susie Ghahremani and her Pets
Susie Ghahremani of boygirlparty is well-known for her beautiful art and illustrations in our crafty world. When she's not painting, drawing, crafting or tweeting, this crafty gal also loves her sweet fine feathered friends and her cuddly cat.
Names of Pets + Pet Type:
Peechee - Domestic Shorthair Cat, Orange
Tom - Society Finch
Dot - Society Finch
Peter - Society Finch
Xander - Blue Capped Waxbill
Favorite Activities:
Peechee: sleeping, eating, following me around and looking for the perfect sunbeam. Occasionally, sneaking outside to eat grass.
Tom: Eating wheatgrass.
Dot: Taking baths, smiling (which basically is just opening her beak, and looking around like she's surprised).
Peter: Singing in a very quiet voice, preening (grooming) other finches.
Xander: Singing call and response with anything that answers, and flying around at the speed of light.
Favorite Foods:
Peechee: Orijen pet food & Feline Greenies
Tom: Wheatgrass & Millet
Dot, Peter & Xander: Millet
What do your pets do when you are crafting?
Peechee: follows me around, sits wherever I'm sitting and dozes off, or occasionally tries to walk over my project so he can harness whatever attention I'm giving to what I'm working on.
Dot, Peter, Xander and Tom all sing & hop around & sound very finchy.
Best thing about you pets: Every day they give me a reason to be happy, the finches are so simple and so cheerful - always doing something tender and sweet like preening each other or singing softly. Peechee is a gentle, sweet cat who is very affectionate and keeps me company during my otherwise lonely / solitary days.
If your pets could talk: Peechee: "Take me with you"
Can you share a pet tip you've learned since having your pets? I learned the hard way, but tap water -- even filtered water as we have used in the past for our pets to drink (which our vet mistakingly told us was safe & fine) -- has protozoa (aka trich) which can cause a fatal infection in animals, particularly small ones like finches. We only give our pets bottled water ever since & believe they have lived longer, happier & healthier lives because of it.
Also, a little drop of apple cider vinegar in water can soothe a stressed digestive tract, help with bad pet breath and even prevent kidney stones! Not every day, but once in awhile - preventatively!
Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu |
Jul 28, 2009 10:00 AM
Interviews, Pets |
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July 27, 2009
Pet Spotlight: Kristin Roach's Ferrets - Ferret Beuler and Sloane Peterson
You may know Kristin Roach of Craft Leftovers for her cool zine or her great craft projects that help you use up all your scrap materials. But did you know she had pet ferrets?
Name of Pets: Ferret Beuler and Sloane Peterson
Pet Type: Ferrets
Favorite activity: Stealing and stashing my spools of thread
Favorite food: our cat Molly's food
What do your pets do when you are crafting: They tend to roll around in their play tube, sleep for hours and hours, and then steal anything they can.
Best thing about your pets: Super cute and playful.
If your pets could talk, what do you think they would say? Yea!!! Threadddddddd!! Mine mine mine mine mine.
Can you share a pet tip you've learned since having your pets? Much hands on play time is key -- both for the emotional health of your pet (depending on the type of course) and the physical health. When playing with them it's easy to do an over all quick check to make sure everything is as it should be. Checking the ears, nose, claws, and (as gross as this may seem it's really important with ferrets) their butt is really important as those are where health issues will first show symptoms.
And in other crafty news, starting today through Saturday, August 1st there will be a big summer sale in the Craft Leftovers Etsy Shop.
Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu |
Jul 27, 2009 10:00 AM
Pets |
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July 24, 2009
How-To: Leather Dog Collar
Editor's Note: The following DIY originally appeared in CRAFT Volume 10. Pictured above is author Ana Poe with her adorable pup Paco. Paco tragically passed away in January of 2009. RIP dear Paco.
DIY Dog Collar
Build a leather collar with style and substance.
By Ana Poe
i began working with leather seven years ago when I stumbled across it during the hunt for the perfect collar for my dog, Paco. Since I've never taken a class, most of the following techniques are either self-taught or passed on to me by old-time leather workers. When working with leather, remember that it falls under the same rules as wood, metal, and stone: measure twice, cut once, and when you can't beat it, learn to work with it.
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Posted by Goli Mohammadi |
Jul 24, 2009 05:00 PM
Pets |
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Pet Spotlight: Julie Jackson's Siamese Cat Boone
Today we are featuring a feline celeb if you will. He's taken the internet and TV by storm, and soon will hit a book store near you. Pictured above is Boone, the Lilac-point Siamese cat of Subversive Cross Stitch and Kitty Wigs founder, Julie Jackson. He's the supermodel for Julie's new book, Glamourpuss: The Enchanting World of Kitty Wigs published by Chronicle Books and due out on book stores in October. You can follow Boone on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook.
Name of Pet: Boone Jackson
Pet Type: Lilac-point Siamese cat
Favorite activity: Sleeping/complaining. Or going for a walk on his leash.
Favorite food: Kitty treats, any kind.
What does your pet do when you are crafting? Anything to get my attention (which he doesn't want once he has it).
Best thing about your pet: Blase attitude -- he'll wear a Kitty Wig and pose all day.
If your pet could talk, what do you think he/she would say? "HEY! WHAT ABOUT ME?"
Can you share a pet tip you've learned since having your pet? Siamese cats are for suckers (but we already knew that).
A can of cat food goes a long way toward making your pet more cooperative in a photo shoot.
Boone in the final Glamourpuss book cover. Author Julie Jackson and photographer Jill Johnson strike a pose with their own version of Kitty Wigs.
Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu |
Jul 24, 2009 11:00 AM
Interviews, Pets |
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July 23, 2009
How-To: Make a Cat Toy
How-To: Make a Cat Toy
By Bernadette Noll and Kathie Sever
Future Craft Collective
We're staying at Grandma's house for a few weeks this summer. Lots of swimming and card games and board games and croquet and lots of totally unstructured free time too. Grandma doesn't have a regular craft room but we do have Grandpa's shop to peruse, full of myriad cans and bottles and boxes full of hardware and things that clink and clank.
This week we put the crafting fully into the kids' hands with the only instruction being that we needed a pet-themed craft. They came up with all kinds of ideas: bird houses, firefly jars, pet bowls, and more. As we watched the toddler gathering feathers from the yard, the idea for a cat toy was born. And this week's project is designed by and for kids to make on their own (though younger kids will need help with the drilling).
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Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu |
Jul 23, 2009 05:00 PM
CRAFT Summer Camp, Kids, Pets |
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Pet Spotlight: Diane Gilleland's Cat Pushkin
We talked with CraftyPod's Diane Gilleland on Monday about her new book, Kanzashi in Bloom (please check out her great Weaving eBook too!). Today, we talk to her about her feline BFF, Pushkin who frequently makes appearances in her tweets.
Name of Pet: Pushkin
Pet Type: Maine Coon Cat
Favorite activity: Sleeping, playing, and watching out windows
Favorite food: Fancy Feast. He must have watched that TV commercial with the Persian cat and the Lauren Hutton voiceover.
What does your pet do when you are crafting? Pushkin likes to be in the middle of the action. He jumps on the table and sprawls out on whatever I'm working on. Then he gives me his "Isn't this great?" look.
Best thing about your pet: Pushkin is a very brave kitty. His previous owner passed away, and when he came to us, he was pretty traumatized. But he's slowly come out of his shell, and every day he does something new that surprises us.
If your pet could talk, what do you think he/she would say? "Please go get that feathered mouse toy and dangle it in front of me. I require entertainment."
Can you share a pet tip you've learned since having your pet? If your cat doesn't like to be groomed, try talking softly to him while you gently brush his fur. He'll relax in time.
Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu |
Jul 23, 2009 10:00 AM
Interviews, Pets |
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Crochet Puppy Paw Protectors
To protect your doggie's paws from the hot pavement, Crafty Chica has a project to crochet these puppy paw protectors like what Lola the beagle is wearing above.
Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu |
Jul 23, 2009 08:00 AM
Crochet, Pets |
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July 22, 2009
Homemade Treats for Pups (and Persons)
Homemade Treats for Pups (and Persons)
By Wendy Tremayne and Mikey Sklar
Holy Scrap Hot Springs blog.holyscraphotsprings.com/
At the Holy Scrap homestead in Truth or Consequences, N.M., we are engaged in a never-ending cycle that replaces the consumer products we are accustomed to buying with a homemade, improved version of them. Little by little our quality of life improves as we leave behind processed, packaged, expensive, and often toxic goods and discover natural, simple, inexpensive goods that we enjoy making.
This summer, after we adopted a Red Heeler pup who we named Sesame, we pointed our industriousness to the ever-important doggie biscuit. The biscuit, we've realized, is central to dog and dog owner happiness. Not only is it a way to express thanks to our loyal friends, but it also neutralizes barky and aggressive dogs encountered in the neighborhood, so be sure and carry a few extra for making new friends.
First we listed the qualities of a good biscuit: inexpensive, nutritious, enjoyable to our doggie, edible to us (why not share the treats?), can be cooked in a solar oven, and quick and easy to make from natural, simple ingredients.
What we came up with is the Open Sesame Biscuit, a sweet little treat liked by canine and Homo sapiens alike (even if a little bland for the people palate, it will kill the hunger pangs on long hikes). The recipe makes about 50 to 75 bite-sized snappy, crunchy biscuits.
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Posted by Shawn Connally |
Jul 22, 2009 01:00 PM
Food, Pets, Recipe |
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Pet Spotlight: Lisa Congdon's Chihuahua Wilfredo
We crafters love our pets and in honor of our theme "We <3 Pets", we'll be showcasing a few of our favorite crafters and their furry pals. To kick off our fun Q&A series, today we feature Wilfredo, the adorable Chihuahua mix owned by artist and Rare Device co-owner, Lisa Congdon.
Name of Pet: Wilfredo
Pet Type: Dog, Chihuahua mix
Favorite activity: Fetch
Favorite food: Cucumber slices
What does your pet do when you are crafting? Attempts to get me to play fetch
Best thing about your pet: He never ever stops being cute and lovable.
If your pet could talk, what do you think he/she would say? While I'm eating: "Can I have some of that?"
Can you share a pet tip you've learned since having your pet?
Brush his/her teeth every night to avoid gum disease! There are folks out there who do non-anesthetic teeth cleaning to get you on the right track before you start the nightly ritual. Make brushing a fun activity by singing to your dog while you do it, and giving him a treat when you are finished. (Its fine for dogs to eat right after brushing!)
Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu |
Jul 22, 2009 10:00 AM
Pets |
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July 21, 2009
How-To: Country Gent Tweed Coat
Country Gent Tweed Coat
Keep your pup warm and stylish in all kinds of weather.
By Lilly Shahravesh
This project is excerpted from Canine Couture by Lilly Shahravesh (St. Martin's Griffin). Photography by Vanessa Davies.
My dogs love this traditional tweed coat for weekends in the country when the weather is crisp. Short-haired breeds and older dogs, in particular, benefit from an extra layer to keep them warm in winter. This coat's woven tweed keeps out the chill on cold days, while its fleece lining makes it extra snuggly and soft to wear.
Tweed is the ideal choice for a country dog — perfect for romps through the woods and fields — but you can use any wool fabric for the outer layer. Something with texture and a pattern will make more of a statement, so think about your dog's coloration, and choose a fabric that will complement his markings, to ensure that he's the best-dressed hound on the hillside.
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Posted by Goli Mohammadi |
Jul 21, 2009 05:00 PM
Books and Magazines, Pets |
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Needle Felted Pet Replica, with Your Pet's Own Fur!
We heart pets. Animals are such rewarding companions. They are loyal, and they are cute! I am the owner of a very smooth-coated boxer, but I have a lot of love for long-haired dogs, especially ones with fluffy tails, like Sugar here.
But that hair! It gets everywhere. I've seen it floating around like snowdrifts under the couch, and of course it gets on every piece of clothing in the house! Grooming your dog is the best way to keep the hair from finding its way into your wardrobe permanently.
The hair that you remove from the dog when you brush her can be put to crafty use! It can be felted, just like sheep's wool. Well, not exactly like wool, but close enough! Don't let the soft fibers go to waste. Use some pipe cleaners and a felting needle to create a replica of your pet, made from her fur!
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Posted by Brookelynn |
Jul 21, 2009 01:00 PM
Pets |
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July 20, 2009
Homemade Flea Repellent
Homemade Flea Repellent
By Jessica Wilson
Every summer I succumb to the wailing meows of our calico cat and let her roll around outside in the garden, and every summer the calico witch-baby becomes lousy with fleas. Making your own flea repellent will not kill those pesky fleas, but it does a dandy job of keeping her less full of them after we bathe her and apply that awful toxic vet-obtained goo. Rather than reapplying that stuff when the first batch loses potency, we mist the witch-baby with this homemade lavender and lemon infusion so she can be flea-free until the next summer. This works on both cats and dogs, though some cats are not fans of lavender. Before you make it, waggle a small sprig of the purple buds near your kitty and watch for her reaction. If she runs away, omit the lavender and just use the lemons or substitute rosemary. Lavender oil can be too strong so I use fresh lavender from the garden.
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Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu |
Jul 20, 2009 01:00 PM
CRAFT Projects, Pets |
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July 17, 2009
Checkin' In: Ridiculously Cute Lulu the Pom
Back in CRAFT Volume 07, a certain little furry crafter stole our hearts when she appeared on the cover. Lulu is her name, and this week we decided to check in with her to see what she's been up to lately. Here she is on the cover, with her mom, our own Natalie Zee Drieu:
Lulu was nice enough to carve out some time from her very busy schedule for an interview. Plus, she shared some ridiculously adorable pictures with us too. What's not to love?
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Posted by Goli Mohammadi |
Jul 17, 2009 05:00 PM
Pets |
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