Tethyis Dreams

Glitch in the Matrix

2010-08-30T19:44:00.000-07:00

Dejavu. There is a glitch in the matrix. Yup has to be. Cause I'm trying the band thing AGAIN. Let's see how well that goes this time.

Also for those of you that craft I'm going to be adding quite a few supplies to my stores inventory. Time to clear out some older stuff and make room for new stuff. I'm not finding much inspiration these days. I'm hoping that cleansing out my trays of beads and adding in new supplies will help to motivate my crafting.

Latest TV show obsession: The IT Crowd.
Chris O'Dowd is awesome.

Last but not least: my cat asleep in a shoe. Because, lets face it, I can't call it my blog if there isn't a pet in it somewhere.

Not really back into the swing of the serious blogging I had been doing but I will get back there. Working on my motivation to be more serious and structured. But for now you get cats asleep in shoes to tide you over. :D BAck again soon * crosses fingers*

2010-07-19T14:34:00.001-07:00

Well the band thing behind me again. I'm gonna try to get back in the swing of blogging. I doubt I will be very regular with it to begin with but I will do my best.
Things I've fallen into recently:
The Big Bang Theory. Great show.

Steamed dumplings. Awesome comfort food.

Blue Acara Cichlids. I have a breeding pair.

More to come when I figure out what to say.

I love Green!

2009-09-23T09:33:00.000-07:00

Two of my newest additions to my shop show how much I love green :D

Green six strand bracelet
7 inches long
$15 GET IT NOW :D

Green Crackle glass bracelet
7 inches long
$18 Don't miss out!

Stop by my etsy store now and see what else you may like. Great gift items
available.

www.tethyis.etsy.com

New Gig

2009-09-20T20:03:00.000-07:00

SO I've become the new lead singer for the band Midnight Train and I haven't had as much time to blog lately but I'm getting back in the swing of it now :)
Got past all our practicing and getting our s ongs together and actually playing some now and have more time to get back on the blog :)

Check out our band at http://www.myspace.com/midnighttrainblues

Island of Trash

2009-09-08T20:05:00.000-07:00

There is an island of trash being built by us every day.
No lie.

1,600 kilometres west of the coast of California is polluted area being called "the garbage patch".
Ocean currents are pushing plastic bottles, plastic bags, and other "disposable" trash of all sorts into this area forming a sort of floating islandS of trash.

Thats islandS. Plural.

Bad enough to think this is happening to the ocean in just the scenic sense but also the animals are suffering in so many ways. Many of the shiny pieces are just so tempting to the birds and fish. Seagulls have been found with lighters in their stomachs. The plastics break down into toxic sand like parts eaten by filter feeders and going up the food chain from there. Building up toxins in the food chain. Many animals like turtles and such may starve to death while having a stomach full of waste they've filled up on but cant digest.

Do you part to clean up this mess. Don't leave trash on the beach. Don't dump things overboard. Reduce, reuse, recycle.

One more "r" Research.
Find ways to help save the environment each day in your life.

Green muse

2009-09-03T22:13:00.000-07:00

Had a moment of creativity hit me today :)
Green oh my favorite color!

Soon to be listed for sale in m shop at www.tethyis.etsy.com

Green Phone Sense

2009-08-27T08:59:00.000-07:00

You know you grew to hate your old phone and now you have a new one with all the bells and whistles...

WAIT!! Don't just throw your old phone out!

Cell phones contain enough lead to qualify as hazardous waste and even lead-free phones are hazardous because of the high amounts of copper, nickel, antimony and zinc that can leach into landfills.Besides there are so many people who need a cell phone. Many battered womens shelters would be so happy to have your old phone.

Check these out for recycling your phone:

http://www.epa.gov/waste

www.haveurebooted.com

www.cellphonerecycling

www.charitablerecycling.com

cellphonesforsoldiers.com

Recycle My Cell Phone

For more green tips check out my fave place www.thedailygreen.com

More Norbert

2009-08-23T12:33:00.000-07:00

New pics of Norbert

Leaping Lizards part II

2009-08-22T16:02:00.000-07:00

Of course this means I brought the Chinese dragon home :D

Meet the newest member of my menagerie : Norbert

This is his favorite basking spot. His heat lamp is above the cage over these columns so its a good warm spot to relax.

He's doing great and eating A LOT! :D

More blog tomorrow !

LEAPIN' LIZARDS!

2009-08-09T17:45:00.000-07:00

I've been taking care of a sickly water dragon at my job and its put me on sort of a lizard kick. So today I am featuring Etsy Artist's lizards :)

ENJOY!

KATZ's shop

LeadedGlassWorks's shop

SUZANNEGLASS's shop

Bijunea's shop

BOGO! SALE!!

2009-08-04T21:44:00.000-07:00

Hey!

Here is a sale just for my blogger folks! :)

Buy one pair of earrings get a second pair of equal or lesser value free!!

50% off bracelets!!

Just put BLOGGER in your notes to seller and wait for a revised invoice before paying :D

Check out the shop

www.tethyis.etsy.com

Pet Stores

2009-07-28T11:13:00.000-07:00

I have a new job!

I work in a pet store!!!

Really I couldn't think of a better job for me.

First : I love pets.

All kinds of animals:snakes, birds, fish, mice, hamsters etc.

All of them.

Second : I HAVE a lot of pets so I can really use the discount on supplies :)

So today I thought I would touch on the things you should do before purchasing a pet.

First off pet stores are not petting zoos. Pet store clerks have to discourage people from handling the pets unless they intend to buy them. This is NOT out of meanness or laziness. Its just plain better for the animals. If we let everyone who came in hold and play with any pet they wanted even though the had no intention of actually buying it the poor critters would be stressed out and sick from never getting any rest and we wouldn't have time to tend to them like they need.

OK now we have all been there... you go in and this cute little animal looks at you with big eyes and you just HAVE to buy it.

BAD IDEA !!

You should NEVER buy a living creature as an impulse buy.

Too often pets are looked at as disposable. If you think you can get it and then if you get tired just give it away or toss it out or whatever, you don't need a pet. Get a virtual pet on your computer or get a plant. One should consider the commitment required to keep a pet before purchasing it.

How is this pet going to fit into your family structure? With kids or other pets?

Is it suitable for your living environment? ( apartment, house, city,country..)

Can you afford to house this animal properly? Don't take an animal home that you don't already have housing for.

Can you afford to feed it properly? Do you know how difficult his diet may be?

Do you have time to clean its habitat on a regular basis? Weekly? Daily?

Are you going to have time to socialize the animal? (play with it, give it exercise and be sure its people and pet friendly)

Do you know what diseases or ailments frequently occur in these animals?

Will this animal need shots or surgery ?

( example: musk gland removal in ferrets; spay or neuter; etc..)

Can you afford the vet bills to come?

Do you know how LONG this animal will live and are you ready to commit to keeping this creature for his lifetime?( some fish can live 20 years, some birds can live past 90 years!)

None of these things are going through your mind when those adorable eyes are peering through the glass at you, but that's when you need to stop! Look around in the store at the things available for the pet that you may not realize you will need to care for this pet. It will begin to sink in. Ask the pet store personnel , but don't just take their word for it. Look the animal up online, get a book on it, ask if the store has care sheets for this pet.

Here's another thing to pay attention to: The store itself.

DO the people working there seem knowledgeable of their pets? Do they offer care sheets?

Are the pets housed well?

Plenty of food and water available? Clean cages?

Do the animals look healthy? You want an animal with bright eyes, attentive to its surroundings, a healthy weight and a good skin or coat.

See if the pets are captive bred or wild caught. Sometimes wild caught animals have more parasites and health issues.

Never ever buy a cat or dog from a pet store. Even if they have papers saying they are pure breed you can be 95% certain they are products of a puppy or kitten mill. Please don't support the mills by purchasing cats or dogs in a pet store.

If the pet store is selling cats or dogs its not a good sign. Reputable breeders will NOT sell their cats or dogs through a pet store. You only want to buy from a breeder who will allow you to visit the home the puppies or kittens are raised and housed in. This means they are breeding the animals in an environment to give them the best temperament to be placed in a new home. Always check that the breeders test their dogs or cats for any diseases or ailments that tend to occur in that specific breed. All reputable breeders do this and have the documentation to prove it.

A good pet store will have a list of reputable breeders as well as a list of rescues by breed. The store I work in has these available at our register, and does NOT sell puppies or kittens. We do however have a wall of pictures of the adoptions available through our local shelter and we support the local shelter through donation boxes at each register :D

I know of some pet store that take in litters to find homes for them. They never pay for the litters this discourage disreputable breeders from trying to use them. They simply take in unwanted litters from people who didn't spay or neuter their animals. They do charge people who want these kittens or puppies from the store but not for the profit of it so much as to assure the customer is truly interested in a pet and doesn't have other motives. Similarly I have seen vets offices that do the same. In these cases you can see buying kittens or puppies from a store being a good thing. Just keep in mind these animals should not be high

priced it they are its a mill situation and not strays that the clinic or store are attempting to home.

Consider going to your local shelter if you really want a dog or a cat. Far too many go unwanted there and need a good loving home.They make just as good a companion as full breeds and you will save an animal from being euthanized. Consider an older pet as well. Kittens and puppies in shelters find homes the quickest and a loving wonderful older cat or dog may be sitting there just waiting for a good owner. Older pets can be great additions to a home so don't overlook them!

Moving on in Polymer Clay

2009-07-22T07:14:00.001-07:00

Well I'm continuing to practice with my polymer clay addiction and I am learning more and more. So many applications for it, so many colors so, many designs. Its overwhelming sometimes to sit and try and narrow ideas down to one thing to try at the moment
:D
I LOVE THAT!

Anyway here are some of my latest efforts.

Grey water for a green earth

2009-07-19T06:34:00.001-07:00

Ever heard of "greywater"?
I had not until about a year ago. Greywater is non-industrial wastewater generated from domestic processes such as dish washing, laundry and bathing. Greywater comprises 50-80% of residential wastewater. NOTE this is NOT water from toilet waste. Toilet waste water is called blackwater.

I like the idea of it I simply don't have the means at hand to build a system myself.
But its a good green topic to have a look at. Reusing greywater serves two purposes: it reduces the amount of freshwater needed to supply a household, and reduces the amount of waste water entering sewer or septic systems. In some states it is necessary to obtain permits before installing a greywater system.

Grey water can be used to water lawns and gardens. There are even some ways to reuse greywater to flush the toilet rather than using perfectly good fresh drinking water to do so but that takes some serious setup to be sure the greywater doesnt backsiphon into the freshwater lines.
Below are some links to more info on greywater and the ways to setup treatment and irrigation systems using it.

http://www.greywateralliance.org/
http://www.greywater.com/
http://www.oasisdesign.net/greywater/
http://greywaterfacts.com/index.html

Frogs

2009-07-14T06:47:00.000-07:00

Last night when I let my dog in from his potty break, I noticed what I thought was a bunch of bugs hopping around my driveway. Looking closer I found a LOT of little bitty froggies! They were SO CUTE I couldn't resist catching one for a picture.You can see how small he is upside my keyboard.

I let him back out afterwards, he is better off in his natural environment. As cute as he was and as much as cute makes us allll want to keep something like that I knew better.

It inspired me to show of some Etsians froggy styles :D

Artdeleonardow

socalglassart
dolphindaze
jdwireart
Glass2Class

SPAY OR NEUTER!!

2009-07-10T20:24:00.001-07:00

People need to get their pets spayed or neutered. Its kitten/puppy season. There is an explosion in unwanted kittens and puppies this time of year every year. I found 2 kittens nearly dead in front of a Big Lots 2 years ago. Best cats I've ever owned. Found a stray dog in my yard, fed him. He's been the best dog anyone could ever want. Perfectly good living creatures thrown away like trash. Because an irresponsible owner of a pet couldn't be bothered to get their animal spayed or neutered. I hate to think of what eventually happened to the mama cat or dog. It became more trouble than the owner wanted to deal with and they tossed it too? It cost too much to take care of? There are no excuses. There are so many programs available for people to get help with getting pets altered. So many adoption agencies, shelters,online advertising spaces, paper ads.

There is a kitten outside our local Wal-green, I have been trying to catch. He's pitiful. If I can catch him/her I will get it tested for fel-luc/fel-hiv, get its shots and find it a home under the restriction that the kitten must be fixed when old enough. My best friend has 3 cats. He found them all as strays. now he has found 3 litters outside his home. 7 living kittens and 1 dead. This is in an affluent neighborhood. These people CAN AFFORD to get their pets altered! They don't do it for what reason? I DON'T understand! There isn't any legitimate reason for more and more unwanted animals to be born when we have the ability to stop the suffering, stop the litters being born. Pets that are spayed/neutered, live longer have fewer health problems.

Want to know more about spaying and neutering your pets?
go here HSUS

Want to know where you can get a good price on getting a pet spayed or neutered?
Go here:
ASPCA
SPAY USA
NEUTER/SPAY ORG

PLEASE please don't sit by and be a part of the problem by not taking action!

These are my strays I saved.

There are far too many more out there.

Spay or neuter your pet.

Migraine

2009-07-08T19:08:00.000-07:00

I have a migraine today :(
I get them occasionally.
No in depth post since I can't focus well. Better post tomorrow I promise.
In the mean time enjoy this:

More Polymer Clay Projects

2009-07-06T13:02:00.000-07:00

I made these from watching tutorials :D
I'm CRAZY about this stuff!

I made a watermelon cane and then I made these mushrooms from the waste ends of the cane.

I saw these cute Popsicle's on a google image search so I gave them a try :D

Google video search is AWESOME for tutorials.

I learned a kaleidoscope technique and used my extra canes and pieces to come up with a cool cane it actually made a nice fabric when laid out for this Altoids tin.

This was supposed to be a snowflake cane but sometimes things take a life of their own.

Plastic Bags. What a waste.

2009-07-03T12:13:00.000-07:00

Plastic shopping bags are one of the largest wastes we have today.
Those plastic bags that seem to pile up and pile up. My Mom has a cute bag that hangs in her kitchen that is specifically made to hold these bags so she can reuse them for sending home food with relatives or packing my Dad's lunch in when he goes fishing. Still they inevitably wind up in the trash. There is NO need for this when these bags can be recycled.

Reduce reuse recycle.
My parents still aren't getting it. I keep trying though.

At our local store there is a recycle bin just for these bags. Most stores that use these bags now have these recycle bins. You would be amazed at what can be done with these recycled bags. Most plastic bags are recycled into composite lumber but can also be reprocessed into small pellets, or post consumer resin, which can become feed stock for a variety of products such as new bags, pallets, containers, crates, and pipe. Each ton of recycled plastic bags saves the energy equivalent of 11 barrels of oil. Want to find a recycle bin near you? Check here :D http://www.plasticbagrecycling.org/01.0/

What else can you do to help reduce this waste? Use the reusable bags! Many stores now offer Reusable bags for sale pretty cheap near their registers! There are also many places online that you can buy these. Check GreenFeet for a great selection. These are a wonderful alternative. Be sure to keep them in the car or one in your purse so you don't get caught without one at the store and have to but a new one every time LOL. These can ALSO be recycled. Like anything it will at some point wear out and throwing it away sort of defeats the purpose of the reuse reduce recycle mantra. ChicoBags will recycle reusable bags. Read HERE about the great program they have that not only helps the environment but helps people by working with their partner Greatful Thread supporting victims of domestic violence.

Now this wouldn't be my blog if it didn't take an artistic view on recycle reuse reduce :D

Check out what some great Etsy artists have made with those wasteful plastic bags!

DaniellesDesigns

Lovely earrings

carataylor's shop

Cute purse

PlaSchtick

Yoga mat

kimquilts's shop

Lunch bag

Also REUSABLE BAGS!!
Reusable bags!!!

zJayne
olivebrown's shop

GreenBaggingIt

2009-07-01T06:12:00.000-07:00

As I promised here are some great examples of polymer clay art and artsists.

I have a new respect for cane makers since my recent trial and errors :D

CatTherien

WonderlandBeads

mixedupdolly

petalbypetal

redwyvernstudio
HardflowerStudios

Lazy days of Summer

2009-06-29T10:30:00.000-07:00

WOW.
Have I ever been lazy. :D
Sorry about the lack of posting. I just seem to still be in roadtrip/vacation mode. Today I kicked my arse back into gear though. Cleaning to be done, work to finish and yes blogs to write :D
I haven't been completely lazy though. As if I don't have enough irons in the fire, I decided to try my hand at polymer clay again. I had a stash of it squirrelled away from previous attempts. While browsing some of my favorite craft forums and pattern sites, I stumbled across some tutorials and got bit by the bug again.

I am in AWE at some of the things people can make with polymer clay. The ideas that people come up with. I get these great and grand ideas while surfing around then I sit down with my clay and completely draw a blank. Like artist's block or something. Its so frustrating. So I've just been working through some tutorials trying to hone my skills a bit and learn the tricks and techniques. I am hoping the muses open back up to me as I go. Maybe I just haven't paid my dues enough yet with the basics :)
Anyway here are some products of my lazy time attempts at learning the trade.

Sorry for the bad picture quality. These are a few canes and misc. bits I've practiced with.

In the back is a supposed to be a teddy bear face that looks more like a mouse now that I think about it :) I'm gonna add an eyepin to it for a pendant maybe. In the front is a baby dragon I've just begun. None of these have been fired yet.

Tiny icecream cone. :)
These are so freaking cute I love tiny clay foods

This is tealight holder that I covered with a cane I made. Its kind of cheesy but hey, its a start !

Need some help with polymer clay?
Try out these sites:

Craftster
The Clay Store
Polymer Clay Central
Polymer Clay Productions

Also google for videos on polymer clay and you can find ALL kinds of great video tutorials. I was lost for a whole day just soaking up videos. Tomorrow I'll post up some of my favorite creations and artsist I've found during my lazy days :D

Have fun browsing those sites they are full of great info !

I'm Back!

2009-06-25T09:51:00.000-07:00

Wow! What a great trip!
But it took me a few days to recover LOL.

Ok so a group of my friends that play online games together and I meet up once a year or so to play board games for the weekend and just hang out and geek out. This year we stayed at a chalet (I guess you would call it. I'm not up on my architect terms :P ) waaaay up on the mountains of NC. We have stayed at this chalet before and it is just beautiful. It is bit of treacherous road to get there though.

Let me start with the very beginning so you can process the situation :D

I rode the first part of the trip from Alabama to Georgia on the back of a motorcycle. A very nice motorcycle mind you, an easy ride. But my only bike wear is leather,....
and its freaking HOT out!
So by the time we got to GA I was a bit dehydrated but I shrugged it off. We meet up with the Georgia Geekenders and ate at Umezumo, a traditional Japanese restaurant. Excellent food. We did a little shopping around in GA grabbing supplies and I settled into a car with my friend Windy for the remainder of the ride to NC.
Now two different people had gotten directions online on how to get there. Both folks had the same directions. We figured we were golden. All was well and uneventful until we got into NC. We knew that some of the roads we wold be on were rustic to say the least, so when we turned off on a gravelly dirt-like trail we weren't surprised. I was feeling very sick from dehydration and was trying to drink plenty of water. As the roads had begun to wind back and forth ,like they do in NC, I became increasingly nauseous. We had to stop several times. I was SO sick.
Its about 1- 2 in the morning and we have been on this path for what seems like forever and it just keeps getting worse and worse. And we had NO cell reception. The cars are scraping bottom over rocks and the road is literally carved into the mountain. On either side of the car are dirt walls with roots sticking out, or in areas its trees straight up one side and mountain drop off on the other. Several times we thought the cars wouldn't go any further. We began to get very worried about our situation. At one point we come to a place where the road ahead is completely covered by what looks like swamp where the road dips through a sort of valley and the water looks to have been standing there a long time. No choice but to go back. Turning around was FUN.( not really, 22 point turns.) Branches scraping against the cars, rocks scraping beneath. One of the cars lost a large piece of something from under it. We put it in the back seat. I haven't heard yet what that was >.< style="font-weight: bold;">would have come out right near the driveway to the chalet, except it had been CLOSED for 6 YEARS! As we exited the road of hell we had ran into a man who lived nearby who told us that google map, mapquest and all the other ones send people up that road all the time and it has been CLOSED for 6 YEARS! 6 YEARS!!

In any case that was the big adventure for the trip :D We got to the wonderful chalet and played several rounds of Carcassonne, Order of the Stick Board Game, and Arkham Horror.
Between games we were very much like hobbits :D Which means we sat around eating, drinking and telling stories. It was awesome! A few times we explored outside but we found a lot of snakes. A LOT and so we let them be and stayed near the house. One of the guys actually got bit by a snake but it only hit his boot and didn't actually bite the skin so all was well.
Very uneventful trip back, thank goodness :)
Here are a few pics.

This is the GOOD road. I don't have any pictures of the bad road. Pictures were far from my mind at that time.
Up on the mountain at the chalet.
The gaming table in foreground, Geekenders chillin in the back.This church was so pretty during the day but when you ride up on it for the first time late at night on that rough road its kinda creepy LOL.

ROADTRIP!

2009-06-19T08:24:00.000-07:00

Its that special time of year when me and several friends get together to be total geeks for a weekend and play boardgames, p&p D&D, cards ..etc...
SO no more blogs til Tuesday!
Everyone have a great weekend and hopefully I will have funny stories to tell when I return :D

Go paperless

2009-06-18T13:10:00.000-07:00

So many businesses today are offering you the option to go paperless on your bill. That's great. As I was standing in my Mom's kitchen helping her yesterday, it dawned on me how much more paperless we really could be.

Watching my Mom wash her hands then dry them with paper towels that went in the trash, dad came through grabbed a couple of paper towels to use out on the deck while he polished his shoes. Mom told him to be sure and get some more paper plates and towels when he went to the store....
It just struck me at how much is being wasted, for what? Convenience? How much convenience? Seriously how much of that could have been done with washable reusable clothes? how inconvenient was it to use a dish instead of a paper plate? I mean its not as if we have to lug the laundry down to the creek and scrub it on a rock. We don't have to scrub the dishes in the sink by hand. Although when I lived alone, generally I did simply wash a single bowl, plate, fork or glass when I was done.
So how many ways can we cut down on the paper we use?

80/20 rule
Try using reusable clothes 80% of the time. I have my good towels then I have my old towels that as they began to all apart I've cut them into smaller clothes to use for cleaning. The "cleaning rags" get washed seperatley from my "body towels/ clothes". thats just me it makes me feel better :) I have separate rags for the pets too. It goes on down the chain before it gets tossed out completely. Yes there are going to be moments when you still use the paper towels, but consider the waste and the money you will save just taking time to use a towel you can wash and reuse.

Stop the junk mail
Total waste. Totally annoying.
You can stop it. Try these sites.
Green Dimes
They can stop the mail and if you sign up as a premium member they will plant 5 trees in your name.

Stop Junk

Check your pantry.
Yes your pantry. Processed foods aren't that good for you anyway , but have you considered the packaging? Looking in your cabinet you will see plenty of boxes. The cardboard can be recycled but the aseptic and paperboard cartons may not be accepted by some recycle sites. Buying things in less packaging help. Lots of pacakges these days may be recycled material. Check the sides and see!

Coffee Mug
You can use your own coffee mug at many coffee shops. Often they have really cool ones for reuse at their establishment for sale near the register. Imagine how many coffe cups could be saved this way!
At home reuse coffe filters or go filterless with a French press! Oh yeah :D

Reuse!!
Did you know how great wet newspaper is for weed prevention in the garden?
Better than most store bought weedmats. A thick stack of wet newspapers laid down in a bed prevents weed growth . The paper is biodegradable and the soy-based inks contain no toxic chemicals that could harm the soil or plants. Be sure your local newspaper uses the so based inks before using this in a vegetable garden. Dont use the glossy pages used for circulars or inserts. You can even make your own seedling pots from newspaper! See how HERE.

Use newspapers or junk mail to wrap gifts. Seriously I remember all my gifts from my Granma being wrapped in comics pages :D I loved it as a kid. With the striking picutes used in many advertisements you can actually make great wrappings from reused papers.

Hope I've given you plenty to work with to help us use less paper and make less waste!

Crochet Crafters!

2009-06-15T09:25:00.000-07:00

I love knitted pieces, but I never really did get the hang of knitting. I love to crochet though. My mom taught me how when I was a little girl and it seemed like she could crochet anything. I picked it up again a few years ago and found there was a lot more to crochet these days than afghans and doilies. So many wonderful patterns and crazy yarns! I've tried my hand at some new projects and in searching around found some amazing artists. So today I want to share some of my new works and some of the wonderful designs/designers I've stumbled across :)

Enjoy!
Tethyis Dreams

Fancy blue cell phone cozy

Catnip Octopus cat toy

Les Jou Jou

Waldi The Daschund

HCKCrafts

Burgandy Flower Bobby Pins

nezo shop

Great colored flowers-Triangle shawl

miniaturecrochet

Precious Moments Dolls

Kanlayanee

PDF Pattern - Snow white and seven dwarfs

Coralia

Anemone Table Sculpture

Doggy Dangers

2009-06-12T06:21:00.000-07:00

Last week I wrote about taking care to keep kitty from getting poisoned.
This week its alllll about the pooch!

PLANTS
Now my dog seems more interested in digging up the plants in the yard than eating them, but you can never really tell whats going through that head of his. Some dogs who stay indoors all the time may take an interest in the houseplants. The interest they take is rarely
one that we, the pet/plant owner, appreciate.
Lets just make sure that they aren't going to make each other sick.

A great place to start is at the ASPCA website. They have a great listing of plants that are poisonous to your pets HERE, and a 24 hour emergency poison hot line to call is listed on that same page. This is a great source to be sure that your plants, both indoors and outdoors, aren't going to cause Fido any problems.

FOODS
Oh boy, my hound is a WORLD CLASS beggar.
I think its a born talent. Really, he's had no formal training, but I'm sure he could win a trophy for it, if there were such a thing. He can stare quietly at your food going from plate to mouth and give you the most pitiful "you ARE gonna save me a bite right? " look.
But we all know that human food isn't good for the pooch. Most of the time the stuff we eat isn't good for us either but that's a whoooole other topic.

Some foods are VERY dangerous for you dog. Lets look at those.

ALCOHOL
well duh! really this is mostly for you fellas out there. MEN it is not funny for your dog to get drunk. They can fall into a coma and die. Grow up, don't give your dog booze, its stupid. Same goes for marijuana. Dangerous for your dog any way you look at it, if inhaled or ingested. Seriously. Your dog is not your frat brother.

CHOCOLATE/COFFEE/TEA
anything else with caffeine in it is a BIG NONO. chocolate/caffeine toxicity

Onions, garlic (raw, cooked, or powder): causes anemia

Fish or poultry bones: Can splinter causing tears or obstructions internally.

Cat food: too high in protein and fats.

Grapes and raisins:damages the kidneys

Citrus/citrus oils: can cause vomiting

Yeast dough:expand and produce gas , causes pain and could cause internal injuries by rupturing the intestines or stomach.

Also:
Avocados, mushrooms, macadamia nuts, spoiled foods ( EWW, WHY?)

MEDICATIONS/CLEANSERS
Keep any home cleansers and personal medications out of your pets reach the same way you would for your kids.

NEVER give your pet human medications without consulting your vet FIRST!
THIS is a list of the top ten meds that can cause pets problems.

Cleansers, antifreeze and any other household chemical needs should be kept in a locked cabinet, preferably one high from the ground that is less likely for a pet or child to get into.

EVERYTHING ELSE
Dogs can find the strangest things to eat and they will. Not only do you have to be concerned with them eating something poisonous, but because of their predisposition to chew on things they may ingest things that will harm them in other ways. Dogs can and will eat things you would never imagine and this could cause a blockage that could potentially be fatal.
Keep in mind anything left within reach of the dog , especially if the dog is a puppy that is teething, they consider theirs' to munch on. Its like having a two year old, if they can get to it, then its going in the mouth.

Signs to look for if your dog may have an obstruction from eating something like the kids homework or worse..

partial blockage:
intermittent vomiting
diarrhea
cramping

complete blockage:
severe and sudden abdominal pain
projectile vomiting/violent vomiting
distention of the abdomen

If your dog shows any of these signs get them to the vet! If the blockage interferes with the flow of blood to the bowel, the bowel itself can start to rot within a few hours. X-rays are needed to properly diagnose the cause and location.

Hope these tips help you keep your dog happy and healthy. Sometimes the smallest things make a world of difference. I hope my lil blog does just that, in making pets safer in even the slightest way :D

I leave you with a picture of my dog after he happily dug a nice mud hole in my backyard. He hates a bath,but loves a mud hole. Go figure :D

For the record, his head is solid black.
He sure looks happy though, huh?

2009-06-10T11:31:00.000-07:00

Thanks so much Heather from Dalkullan Jewelry blog for sending the One Lovely Place Blog Award my way! I really appreciate the thought and am glad you enjoy visiting my lil corner of the internet :D

Here are the One Lovely Blog Award rules:

1. Accept the award, post it on your blog together with the name of the person who has granted the award, and his or her blog link.
2. Pass the award to 15 other blogs that you’ve newly discovered.
3. Remember to contact the bloggers to let them know they have been chosen for this award.

Here are my 15 blogs of choice ( random order ):
1.Ladybird Land
2.Eye Pop Art
3.CraftHeart
4.Recycled By Hyena
5.AlaModeStuff
6.Babushka Jewelry Design
7.Joanna Goldman
8.Amber Afternoon
9Naturally Charming
10.Urban Prarie Girl
11.Tango K
12. Shell Mitchell Accessories
13.Originals By Paris
14.AkkaDesigns
15.2ReVert

kitty love

2009-06-10T08:32:00.000-07:00

TeriPersing

amberalexander

magicbeanbuyer

Kittyinthebox!

All Bottled Up

2009-06-07T11:55:00.000-07:00

Plastic bottles or PET bottles ( short for polyethylene terephthalate) are becmonig a serious waste problem. How many plastic bottles get used a day? According to the Container Recycling Institute, in the US more than 60 million plastic water bottles are thrown away, EACH DAY!

NO WAY?!?
That is such an astounding number! Most of these end up in land fills or incinerators. Many are littering the land :(
Want to find out more about what can be done about this? Check out what CRI has to say.

In the meantime lets looks at what some crafty people have come up with to help save their corner of the world from the pop bottle explosion.

Alexandra Ferguson on Etsy has these beautiful pillows.
Now you may wonder "what does that have to do with plastic bottles?"

Alexandra answers that on her home page :
" The felt used in my pillows are made from 100% post consumer recycled plastic water bottles. Every pound of felt is equivalent to 10 water bottles that would have otherwise ended up in a landfill. By my math, that makes each pillow about 4 water bottles of earth saving goodness."
That is so amazingly cool Alexandra!

How about some jewelry to show off your dedication to ending this problem?
Easy enough!
bluemoon147 at Etsy makes these great bangles using recycled PET bottles and recycled magazines.

Artwork by KD on Etsy. Makes these adorable earrings and more.

Arny Design's has these beautiful necklaces.
Yes that is made from plastic bottles! Amazing right?

Go by Etsy and search for eco-friendly,recycled or GREEN and see what other great artists are doing to share the load. Support the artists and help save the environment.
:)

Want some ideas on how you can reuse PET bottles at home? I found this great site I can't get enough of called Instructables
Here are a few of the awesome ideas there:

Bottle herb garden – a recycling project.
Water bottle sprinkler cap
Quick and easy homestead uses for Plastic Bottles (PET)
Self watering recycled vase

More than 7,000 communities in the United States have curbside collection programs that will even give you the bins for the collecting and separating your recyclables such as glass, metal, and plastic. In some areas, drop-off bins are provided at appropriate locations in the community and at retail deposit return sites. You are just a google search away from seeing if your community offers this. Take a few minutes and see what you can do in your area to help cutback on this problem.
*******************************************************

Coming up this week:
*More Green tips
*What to be sure your dog DOES NOT eat ( besides your kids homework)
*More great artists work
*Cute pet pics ( obligatory ) :D

Stay tuned!

Pet smarts

2009-06-04T17:57:00.000-07:00

If you can't tell already, I'm a major pet person. I have 3 cats, 1 dog, 2 newts, 4 freshwater aquariums and 1 saltwater nano-tank.
If I were to go into all the fish...well it'd be a long boring blog for most folks.:D
I'm one of those folks who at wal-mart tell people at the fish tanks," You can't put that fish in that tank with that other fish,...that one needs this temperature and the other one.." You get the picture.

In any case I thought it would be a good idea to do a blog about once a week on pets.
This one is going to center around things that are bad for your pet.
Lets start with cats.

Cats like to chew on plants. Any outdoor cats regularly chew on grass. I was told ( I don't even remember by who it was so long ago) that cats eat grass to make them throw up and relieve them of hairballs. I have no idea if that's true. I think cats just throw up on your favorite things to remind you of your place ;)

You should take care if your cat is eating grass from lawns, fields, under hedgerows etc. The grass could contain weedkiller or other chemicals that could be poisonous.
If your cat is an indoor cat I'm sure you have found nibble points on house plants. You should be careful of this as well since some houseplants can be VERY poisonous to your kitty. There is a wonderful list HERE to let you see if you have any plants that are dangerous to your kitty.

Once you are sure you only have safe plants in the house with your cat, you can get kitty grass kits at the pet store and at some stores like Wal-mart, Target, etc.

(clicky on pic for a cat grass store :D )

This will give your cat a safe plant of their own to munch on and will save our precious houseplants. Dried potpourri is also dangerous to your cats don't leave this out where they can access it.

Now if your cat is like my cat, it begs/demands your food.
I really hate to tell my cat no to anything but there are things you should know about some human foods and how they affect your cat.
Onions, garlic, and other root vegetables: can cause anemia in your cat
Apricot, cherry, peach pits, almond nuts, apple seeds: can cause cyanide poisoning
Alcohol: duh BAD, can cause coma and/or death
Green tomatoes, raw potatoes:violent lower gastrointestinal symptoms
Avocado: can cause vomiting, diarrhea, respiratory distress, congestion, fluid accumulation around the tissues of the heart and even death (wikipedia)
Chocolate: chocolate toxicity
Grapes and raisins: kidney damage
mushrooms: many kinds are poisonous to lots of pets. Since there are SO many kinds or mushrooms and all haven't been established as safe or poisonous, its best to take the safe route and avoid them with pets altogether.
Also bad for kitty: soy or rice brans, hops rhubarb and any food that's gone bad. Seriously if you open the fridge and go "eww lets just give that to the cat"...DON'T!

Foods that can be dangerous if given too often:

Tuna, Yes TUNA! Too much tuna can cause steatitis (yellow fat disease) Liver too. Too much liver or cod liver oil can cause vitamin A toxicosis. Too much aw fish can cause
thiamine deficiency. The key here is moderation. As an occasional treat these are fine just don't overindulge your cat.

Milk. In complete opposition to every Saturday morning cartoon you ever grew up with, most cats are lactose intolerant. This means most likely giving your cat milk will cause stomach upset, cramps, and gassiness. My cat is gassy enough thanks. There are several product on the market for cats that can satisfy your cats desire for milk (mostly just your desire to spoil that baby but hey, both works right?)

Cats HAVE TO EAT MEAT! Now if you have pledged to the vegetarian lifestyle good for you, humans can do just fine like that. But don't push that off on your cat. You will have a very unhealthy cat. Cats MUST have taurine, arachidonic acid, vitamin A, and vitamin B12 that they can only get in sufficient amounts by eating meat. If a cat goes without taurine, the cat's retina slowly degenerates and the cat suffers eye problems and can become irreversibly blind.
A great source of info on cats and the reasons they need meat to live well can be found HERE. That's a vegetarian website telling you the cats need meat. Can't get much more serious than that!

Hope this helps you be sure your kitty lives long and healthy.

Next time we will look at what your dog should avoid :D

I'll leave you with a quote I love. I wish I knew who originally said/wrote it.
"Cats were put into this world to disprove the dogma that all things were created to serve man"

*****************************************************************************************
In loving memory of my best friend, he had a long happy life and I miss him dearly.

Creative crafts from recycled goods

2009-06-02T15:42:00.000-07:00

I LOVE seeing the wonderful ways people come up with reusing things to make beautiful crafts. It amazes me at the ideas some people have when they look at an item.
Check these out!(click on links below for the shop)

Really can you imagine looking at a skateboard and saying "That would make a great pair of earrings!"
2ReVert

"Hmm those seatbelts would make a great tote..."
Alamodestuff

"Those soda tabs just scream fashionista!"
Ann-Made Art

I need to mark my place...wheres that circuitboard...
Debby Arem Designs

That "sounds of the mongoose mating season" cd can be so beautiful.
ahahahHA EyePopArt pointed out that its not actually the CD but they are made from the clear CD spacers that usually come on top when you buy a spindle of CD-roms. Sorry "Sounds of the mongoose" will have to wait to become beautiful art later ;) LOL sorry bout the mistake there EyePopArt thanks for the headsup :)
EyePopArt

Hey let me put that can on the side of my fridge when you empty it.
Funky Recycling

I applaud all these crafters for their ingenuity and effort in doing their part to save our environment from waste. I hope they all didn't mind my humor in posting their designs :D All in good fun! Keep up the good fight people! Every little bit helps.

Green is the new Black

2009-05-31T18:18:00.001-07:00

We've all heard it. Green is the color to be. We all want to save the environment, make our carbon footprint smaller, keep the planet healthy.
Someone once told me that its a crock of bull to "save the earth" cause we humans would all die off way before the planet dies. OK, that didn't make me feel any better about it really LOL.
Besides we want to be sure all the cute fuzzy animals can live on even if we don't right ? ;)
I'm being funny , mostly.

But I thought I would occasionally throw a GREEN TIP up here and there.
Yeah I have a water filter so I don't use plastic bottles for water that fill up a landfill and I recycle my aluminum cans, I'm sure there are plenty of things I don't do. But I'm not claiming to be the perfect environmentalist. I'm just trying to make a difference where I know how. Plus as a natural born pack rat I'm always looking for cool ways to put to use things that might otherwise be scrapped.

Lets see what lil green tidbit I've dug up for this week shall we?

So this may sound too simple to be true, but did you know that eating local foods can do a lot towards saving the environment?

Well, consider how much waste is created and pumped into the environment shipping those beautiful pieces of fruit from another country..not the sort of thing you think about when you are looking at those lovely pieces of produce at your store. If you're like me you feel good for eating healthy and YES that's great!

Consider it this way though, you eat local foods you save on the waste into the environment and you are supporting the local farmers and your community's economy. Often there are other benefits. Local honey is better for you especially if you have sinus problems due to pollen. The theory is that ingesting local honey helps your body build an immunity to the local pollens since it is produced from those same pollens.

In any case I LOVE going to a local farmers market and browsing over fresh things grown by people who I can actually TALK to, such a great connection to where it comes from. More often it tastes so much better than chain store products and I don't have to wonder what all its been through before it got plastic wrapped and shelved.

If you want to find a local market there are LOTS of ways to do so.
This is just one good place to start.

If you find any other resources post them in a comment here let others know! Spread the greeeeeeeen knowledge :D

Still have jewelry in stock

2009-05-30T01:39:00.000-07:00

Event though I'm moving towards pet products, I still have plenty of jewelry left for sale in my store. Check it out see if there's anything you might like :)

www.tethyis.etsy.com

This is my crafty kitty who helps me :D His name is Clawed. He has 7 toes on each of his front feet. All 14 toes have full claws and working joints so he can get into everything. If ever there was a cat who possibly COULD craft it would be him.

2009-05-27T01:24:00.000-07:00

Haven't had much luck selling anything. I still love making my stuff, but I don't wear it much and I can't afford to make a bunch of things I can't actually move. Plus its just so sad to have these pieces just hanging on a rack when they should be on a person. I guess I just needed to vent and this is as good a place as any I suppose.

I've stopped making jewelry for a while. I'm gonna make things for pets as a change of pace. I have plenty of pets so I have plenty of ideas.

Here are a few items in the works.

Placemats for food bowls:

Cute bags that attach to a leash to hold poopy pickup bags or your whatever you need with you for a walk with the dog.

Catnip toys off various sorts.
Crocheted octupus with cat nip filler.

felt handsewn mice

Also making ferret hammoks, sugar glider pouches, pet beds and collars. I'll post pics as I go.

OCD and Crafting

2008-09-27T13:58:00.000-07:00

OK I'm not the most organized person. I like to work organically. I get a bead and then another kind of bead, I pour the beads together on the work space. I roll them around I began pulling things from drawers as the piece takes shape in my mind and then in my hands. When its all done I'm generally spent and the last thing I want to do is separate the leftover bits back into their respective cubby holes. But that's ok because there will be a moment in the next day or so when I will be frustrated about something, (money, family, work whatever) and then my o.c.d. side kicks in and I MUST sit and divide, organize, section and categorize EVERYTHING. The smaller the lil crafty bits that need organizing the better.

My boyfriend thinks I'm crazy because I buy mixed bags of beads just so I can sit and separate them out by color size, shape etc. Its my therapy. It works for me. And it costs a lot less than a shrink.

Anyway, I had a bout of cleaning and organizing recently and now I have a ton of stuff that I've categorized into a DESTASH pile. These are items that I've had for sometime and have been convinced I'm going to make some great and wonderful project out of them.......one day. Well its time for someone else to try and make something wonderful with them. I realize that I'm not going to and there is no sense in them gathering dust in my crafting bins. So I'm selling them off.
Besides that means I can put NEW things in my crafting drawers YAY!

See if there is anything in my bargain bin o'destah that you might want :)
If you do see something you want the link above each picture will take you to the page where you can purchase it :D

Silver dangle charms

pearlescant plastic beads

misc stone

wrapped crystal

pretty beads

shell pendants

ear posts

sequins and rhinestones

microbeads

yarn

more yarn

wood boards

picture frame

stencil brushes

pets and crafts

2008-09-24T19:56:00.000-07:00

Anyone who knows me can tell you the only thing I love better than crafts are my pets.
I have a menagerie.

4 cats(Bitty, Jinx, Clawed and Pheobe)

1 dog (Rascal)

2 Chinese Firebelly Newts Not yet named. any suggestions?)

1 Chinese paddletail newt(Monty)

1 salt water aquarium with live rock, cleaning crew and the main attraction a green spotted puffer(Chucky)

...and 5 planted freshwater tanks with numerous kinds of fish and snails.

Most of the time I can draw inspiration from my pets when crafting. Sometimes they even try to lend a ...paw. That ususally ends up in a mess but its fun all round :)

So today I'm focusing on others who have used their pets, mainly fish as a focus of their art or craft.

This is in hansigurumi's etsy shop. Mind blowing work.

This is in Juani1's shop. Recycle reuse!!

nebulamystic's shop

paraphernalia's shop

AsgardJEwewlry Shop

NicoleBrown's Shop

baileybowls

wigglysee

PiscesCeramics

sunnfox

My shop

REBIRTH

2008-08-31T07:07:00.000-07:00

YAY! I'm back in business and it only took a YEAR!
I serioulsly was so shocked when I looked at the blogger and realized its been a YEAR. It just seems like it was a couple of months. Scary when life slips by so fast. A lot has happened. The main thing I want to focus on today is Etsy Goon Squad. Oh yeah.
Wonderful group of Etsians, diverse talents, Oh!! and we all have something awful in common: we wont let the internet make us stupid ;)
So onto the LINKAGE!
Etsy Goon Squad

Goon Squad Team Page

These are some of the beautiful items you can find made by wonderful Goons.

awapplesauce Balsam
CatRocketship cemetracie
chronomorphs dfuss
dissociatedesign elabela
dollmasquerade feralgoat

hbart Harlot

ikebanana JellybeanApparel
LaughingScarab nrapture
pinkfairywand pixel8ed

rathina RepoRebo

SaucyRobot savor
strawberryruckus schroteri

tethyis tobasko

topenga waywarddreams

If I missed anyone I apologize! :D We just keep growing in numbers so fast!! Stay tuned for more and it wont be a year this time :D

Downtime

2007-08-07T12:36:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the lack of posts recently. My motherboard in my computer fried and so I can only access the internet from work. I should be back in gear in a week :) I will be making a post about kittens in the very near future stay tuned :D

Have you got the marbles for it?

2007-07-22T10:42:00.000-07:00

Um, hehe, I couldn't resist. I never seem to be able to resist a bad pun.
*shrug*
Anyway on to the point. I have a new section in my shop : Marbles
Oh I lovemaking these things so much! They can adorn magnets, pushpins, paperclips , hairclips, etc. I mean the list goes on. Because of that I don't attach them to anything before I list them. You the seller can order them on what you want, with in reason. I mean I'm not gonna attach them to hundred dollar bills for you ;) LOL
But these are really great for dressing up your cubicle and making it your own.

Thanks for dropping by and be sure to check out the wonderful shops I have listed in my links section.
Nothing says you care like a handmade gift!

Artfully Upcycled.

2007-07-20T07:49:00.000-07:00

I'm all about saving this great planet of ours. Granted this big hunk of rock is gonna be here far and long after we are gone. We aren't going to kill this planet but we may well kill a lot of beautiful things on it and ourselves if we dont act responsibly. So I thought this weeks blog would feature artist reusing and recycling things in creative ways.
Bottled Up DesignsLovely jewelry made from recycled antique glass reclaimed from bottle dumps.
Annie's Obsessive Compulsive Designs

LampLighter Lamps made with all vintage fabrics recycled from old scarves and estate sale finds.

Christoph54Clock made from cd's
IvaArt

D.Mollison
Recycled Wool Sweater toddler dolls.

Pillbox Productions

FiveForty

AegeanSea
Recycled from the sea.

Hyena

CatCozy

Ellerue Designs

ASM Designs

Baillies Bags and Baubles

BellaCosa Art

Marange97

Blingaling

Cheeky and Choccy

Dapper Duds

More!!
Shell Mitchell's Shop Circus inspired Armwarmers
Momma Sue's ShopCute bag crocheted around cd's.
Shelli64 Redesigned Flipflops
ChellelineOld magazines, book catalogs, and paper scraps from mailings used to make cards.
Charming DarlingJewelry using vintage pieces.
Vinyl Rocks My WorldRepurposed record albums into bowls, 45s into clocks, and pogs into earrings!
Weird Bug LadyCute bag made from recycled work pants.

All work and No play...

2007-07-15T08:50:00.000-07:00

..makes for a dull blog :D
So today I'm taking a break from my shameless self promotion to bring you...
RASCAL

This is my dog. He just wandered into the yard one day and with a lot of food and patience I won him over. Now he lives the life of luxury. Well...sort of.

We have had a lot of rain here lately and when I came home from work the other day I found this:

Note: He doesn't stay on a chain or in a pen all day while I'm gone. He has a HUGE fenced in yard to play in where my family can keep an eye on him. The only way to get his wiggly butt still long enough for pics was to put him on his leash :)

Now he had to work hard to get this way. Just look at the holes he had to dig to get enough standing water to play in.

(The stuff put against the edge of the fence is to thwart his previous effort of digging through into the neighbors yard to play with their pups. Temporary, it works but it sure is ugly :( )

That is a hard working dog.

Note the pleased expression. He really seems proud of his accomplishment.

But it was bathtime and afterwards the clean and happy pup fell right to sleep in his fave spot, the middle of the living room floor LOL :)

I'll update the adventures of Rascal the Hobo pup as time goes on. Til his next episode keep smiling cause Rascal sure will!

A change is coming

2007-07-12T07:41:00.000-07:00

A change in seasons that is. People are already hawking their Halloween wares and getting ready for fall. I'm right there with them :) I love summer and I don't want to rush it away, but you have to prepare for what lies ahead. With that in mind I thought I would promote a few friends fall items as well as mine.

Betani's Bags

Bibelot's Earrings

Lotties Bracelet

Laurali's Painting

My necklace

Clockwork Dragons Soaps

Lil Miss and Priss and Co.'s Bow

Cuiroddities Pins

Bags and Purses

2007-06-13T15:51:00.000-07:00

New crocheted bags and purses in stock :D
Be sure to check out the links to other Etsy shops and their owners blogs!

Pet products!

2007-06-01T12:24:00.000-07:00

Yes I have a few of those :D I have to ..I have several pets. 3 cats and a dog. So I'm always looking for ways to keep them happy! I have my own version of catnip mice that my cats just LOVE!Mice are here!

Bitty here shows his approval.

Though my dog is a not the bow type, most of my friends have those cute little dogs that just BEG for cute accessories. I make hairbows for them and now I'm offering those to you as well.Puppy bows are here!
Sets: Matching smaller bows to go above each ear.

Singles: Larger focal bows for center of head.

As always, thanks for looking and be sure to drop by www.etsy.com to see all the wonderful handcrafted items available from all over the world.

New Item Category!

2007-05-26T12:40:00.000-07:00

I am now offering
cellphone charms!
I will try to keep the prices at around the $3.50 mark while still using top quality supplies, however charms using Gold ( not Gold Plate ) or any precious gems will obviously cost a bit more.

I will take custom orders as well. Comment me here or convo me on Etsy for more info on custom designs!

Welcome!

2007-05-25T10:08:00.000-07:00

Thanks for dropping in :D This is to be a new space for me to share my jewelry and other works I create by hand and have available for purchase. I'm sort of new at blogging so hang in there with me :D