Stitches and Thrills

Summer is seriously on its way. So it is about time I listed my new line of crochet cozies . I made some fun looking bottle carriers with bow ties. When your shopping, travelling or taking a walk with your dog it isn't always handy to carry around a big bag just for having some water at hand. Now you can sling your water bottle over your shoulder and have both hands free ( for instance for taking photographs). And you can also use these to gift wrap a bottle of wine in style! In similar colours I crocheted some gadget cozies. I found these funky buttons in a little crafty shop in Kingly Court (next to Carnaby Street, London).

CATTOO The nature of many domestic cats is perfectly (or should I say purrrfectly?) captured by UK artist Helen Dalgairns. The print "Her Majesty's Mattresses" is definitely in the top of my favourite listings. I can just picture it on the living room wall. So it won't be to long before I actually buy it =^x^= The content expression on the cats face, the tiny crown and the use of colours and patterns just light up my heart every time I see it. The cat in the print reminds me of my cat Charlie who often sleeps on a pillow on top of the wardrobe. (I did just wake her up by taking this photo, as you can see by the sleepy face): Helen also sells greeting cards in her shop, so you can make that catloving friend of yours also happy. Cattoo's etsy shop Cattoo's website

Dearest EFA members, thank you all so much for your donations for the Animal Ambulance in Alphen a/d Rijn. You're stars! So far the amount raised is $45.50, but I heared some of you were still finishing your paperwork on Aprils financials, so there might be a little added. I will double the amount raised. This makes the total donation by EFA artists to the Animal Ambulance is $ 91.00 ( €70.20 ). EFA treasury   :

It's great to see how the EFA fundraising for the Animal Ambulance Alphen a/d Rijn gets picked up by other blogs, as on the blog HandMadeNews  , in a post by Coco Watkin. Leave a nice "thumbs up" at the bottom of her post and please do share it by twitter/facebook etc. The positive buzz is really exciting. I am very hopeful for how much funds we can raise. All these heartwarming comments are coming from all over the world, from people who are animal lovers or crafty creative persons, or both. I'm so impressed by you all! Suncatcher   ByCoco

A couple of weeks ago I posted a blogpost about the Animal Ambulance in Alphen a/d Rijn (that's in the Netherlands). They unfortunately have to do without one of their 2 much needed ambulances, and don't have the funds to replace it. This animal rescue service has now been chosen as Charity of the Month by my friends at EFA. What is EFA Artists Helping Animals ? EFA Artists Helping Animals is a group of more than 500 independent artists, independent craftspeople, independent vintage suppliers, and independent art and craft suppliers that combine their efforts to provide charitable relief to animals. EFA can be found as a Team on Etsy.com , an online marketplace for buying and selling handmade items. All members of EFA are also Etsy members. Each month an animal charity is chosen from charities nominated by one or more EFA members to be the EFA Charity of the Month. Please check out our EFA Animal Charity of the Month to see who we are supporting this month as a...

This newsstory of last month grabbed my attention. It's a call for financial support of the Animal Ambulance in the Dutch town of Alphen a/d Rijn. This organization is not subsidized. They are depending on donations of animal lovers. What does the Animal Ambulance Alphen a/d Rijn do? "This Dutch animal ambulance service provides emergency care to injured animals and transports them to the vet. Also they transport animals to specialized shelters troughout the country. The ambulance staff is highly trained and in possesion of a diploma for Animal First Aid. As the ambulance is based in Alphen aan den Rijn they can guarantee to reach an emergency very quickly (even though they cover a large area-MM). Which of course is in the best interest of the animal. Also for transporting your pet to the vet and back home, you can call upon the animal ambulance. (For instance if the pet's owner does not have the right transportation. They do ask for a small fee for this service. - MM) ...

"Alice In Wonderland" is an ongoing source of inspiration for me. Just like "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" I can reread the book to infinity and every time laugh out loud. I think what fascinates me most in both books is how the absurdity and impossible are presented as logical. It makes me question the so-called scientific facts and opens my mind to creativity. Being a Tim Burton fan I can't wait for the upcoming movie to come out, so Alice is even more than ever present in my thoughts. And that naturally reflects in my creations. My new hats are all inspired by AiW: Cheshire Cat kitty hats , Queen of Hearts kitty hat , new Playing Card kitty hat (in progress) and upcoming: White Rabbit hat. As you can see in the picture I already purchased some pink and purple mohair for a Cheshire Cat Scarf. =^x^=