Animals with stuffed animals

Do you think Bandit and his Teddy are cute?

Wait til you see all the other Animals with Stuffed Animals

Photo: Julie Corsi

Dandy-Lion has become Dan!

So our little squirty-boy is growing up.  He's no longer "Dandy" but "Dan" and has gone through a number of growth spurts until he's a (still-little) lean, mean, jumping machine!  One of these days, he's going to (a) jump over the open Dutch door that leads from the room he's kept in into the kitchen and/or (b) jump into the garbage (oh wait, he's done that already, LOL!) and/or (c) jump into the litter scoop bucket (oh wait, he's done THAT already) and/or (d) start chewing on the blinds (oh yeah, wait, done that too) and/or (e) finally jump up my leg high enough to do damage to me (he gets to mid-thigh now, ouch!).

Here's a page I just made for a challenge over at ScrapbookFlair - Small But Perfectly Formed:

The idea of the challenge is to create a scrap that covers only about a quarter to one-third of the page, but with intricate details.  I don't often scrap this way, so I was glad to do this and stretch myself a touch.

(why is that?  Why do we always feel the need to always *fill* our pages with "stuff"?  Sometimes I think we put too much "stuff" on a page, or make the original image so artistic, to the point that one can't recognize the original image.  And I find myself falling into that trap too, though I try not to.  Usually, though, my style is pretty traditional, making the photo the focus, and put it prominently on the page)

Anyway, I'm very pleased with how this came out.  I got some great shots of Dan yesterday at work (look at those soulful eyes of his!), and this was fun to do, to do the extraction, make the frame, and make it all small, LOL!  The kit I used is Angel Baby's Scraps' Sweet Fantasy, and that's just how he looks, like he's having a fantasy about that fairy.  Hey, who knows what cats really see, that we can't????

Oohhhh, love this page for Harley!

My good friend, Joce (from New Zealand!), made this page for Harley's Angels.  I LOVE it!

Harley is available through Angel PAWS - call 732-340-1199 for more info or to fill out an adoption application for this adorable boy.  Just remember...Harley needs to be an only cat.

Joce's design credits:  Kit is Sweet Dreams by Zalinka.

Thank you SO much, Joce!  I love this page to pieces!!

Here's your morning Harley's Angels Page!

Happy Independence Day, everyone! 

Krystal over at ScrapbookFlair made a fabulous page for the Harley's Angels Challenge! 

Isn't it so sweet?  I LOVE the mice playing around at his feet, LOL!

Design Credits:  Yes, Krystal also used the 2nd Chance Kit, the charity collab kit for Angel PAWS, available at Angel Baby Scraps Store!  The mice and some other elements are from sourissimo @
scrapbooking.ch.

Krystal, thank you SO much for this adorable page for Harley!!

Karen's Crafting Nook: Harley the Cat Wants a New Home

Wow! What a terrific post by Karen, one of my ScrapbookFlair friends, about Harley! Karen, thank you so much!

Karen's Crafting Nook: Harley the Cat Wants a New Home: "Hi Everyone, Over on ScrapBook Flair a challenge has been started up by Oreosmeow  to bring a delightful cat called Harley as much attention..."

Karen's post goes on to reiterate the information already here on my blog, about Harley's circumstances, and why he needs a new home.

And THEN, Karen posted her pages that she entered into the Harley's Angels challenge. WOW!  For all of them, she used the Angel PAWS charity collab kit, 2nd Chance, available at Angel Baby Scraps Store.

Gotta tell you, I love this page most - I love how Karen's journaled this, it makes me giggle every time I read it!  It's a fun, playful page and purrfect for Harley! (you HAVE to click on the image to read the text...it's terrific!)

Design credits:  "I found the little crown in Misty's Designs "Just for You" kit, and applied a DSA/Craft Artist Gold Effect from Truly Tango Scraps.  Couldn't resist having another play with the Word Art Frames, adding different effects to ring the changes."  (Karen used her Word Art Frames on all the pages)

And then Karen created THIS page - totally awesome!

The work she did on this is incredible!

Design Credits:  "Playing around in the Craft Artist effects section I came up with the effect on the red page, which I have saved as my "Harley Red" effect. The little cat edging to the page is from a Photoshop brush by B Sylvia of Graphics-Illustrations."

This is her third page:

Gorgeous - I love blended backgrounds like this.

Design Credits:  "Used Truly Tango Scraps DSA/Craft Artist Effect 'Copper Frost'"

Karen is truly one of Harley's Angels!  Thank you SO much!

Ohhh, look at this page for Harley, from one of his Angels...

This is gorgeous, I totally love it!

This was done by scrapping lee at ScrapbookFlair and is part of the Harley's Angels challenge.  Wow, I love the softness of this page...great job!  (kit used is "Friends" by Jenni)

Yep, Harley's still looking for a home.  C'mon, I know someone's out there who needs this boy as much as he needs a human to love.

Harley's Angels Challenge has started!

Please go check out the wonderful scrapbook layouts everyone's been making for Harley, the kitty I've been showcasing here on my blog for the past week or so.  I'd like to thank everyone who's participating and has posted pages, or plans to during the two weeks of the challenge!

You can find the challenge by clicking here.  If you're a member of ScrapbookFlair, I encourage you to join the challenge and create a page for Harley so we can try to spread the word about this lovely boy who needs to find a forever home.  

If you're a digital scrapper and not a member of SBF, consider joining so you can be one of Harley's Angels, too.  The requirements are simple...create a page, post it to the challenge, give me and the rest of the participants permission to post your page to other scrapbooking sites, social networks, their blogs, wherever we can, and, VERY IMPORTANT, give credit to the designer whose kit you use.

It's not that he's not safe where he is, he's being fostered in a terrific home.  However, he doesn't get along with the resident cats there and so he needs to be kept separate from them, and he gets lonely all by himself.

Harley wants nothing more than to be the only cat in a loving home.  That's all.  Simple, really.

He's 3 to 4 years old, is neutered, current on his vaccinations, tested negative for FeLV and FIV, and recently had some bloodwork run which shows he's perfectly healthy.  He came into his foster home with a nasty wound on his leg, which is completely healed now and gives him no problems, and he's had an ear hematoma which has caused his left ear to fold over on itself and is also trouble-free (and gives him character!).

Harley's currently in Woodbridge, NJ, which is in the east-central part of the state.  Kinda near Staten Island and not that far from Manhattan.  And, considering that NJ's so skinny through the central part, he's really not that far from Philadelphia or eastern Pennsylvania.  We can arrange a meet and greet.

Please, please, if you know of someone who's looking to adopt a single cat, let them know about Harley!  You or your friend can contact me, and I'll pass the word along to his foster mom, who'll take it from there.

Let's let social networking do what it's so good at - spread the word about this lovely boy, and let's get him a home!

Thank you.

Somewhere Harley can call his own...

My friend, Pauline, created two more pages in anticipation of the Harley's Angels Challenge that's starting today!  They're fabulous - she's one talented lady!  The first page has no added effects, while the second one has a light ink effect applied to the page.

 Pauline used these kits to create the pages:  Falling Leaves Autumn Party by Lorie Davison at http://scrapbookgraphics.com and Wildwood Village by Joelle at http://design2create.nl.  Gorgeous!

Ivy, Lily and Basil

I've begun working with Hope For Animals with some fundraising, and this is the first page I've done that showcases some of their kitties that are available for adoption.

How cute are these guys??  They are just adorable!  I don't think they'll last long!

Go take a look at the rest of Hope For Animals' adoptable kitties - they have some wonderful cats!

I used the Second Chance kit, a charity collab available from Angel Baby Scraps Store that benefits Angel PAWS.  Heh, it works well even for another charity, LOL!

Harley Is Looking For A Home...

This page is another created in advance of the Harley's Angels challenge at ScrapbookFlair.  It was created by my friend, Neeltje, who's in Netherlands!  

We're getting the word spread far and wide about Harley and all it takes is someone who knows someone who knows someone.......  So please grab these pages I'm posting for Harley and share them on Facebook, put them on your blog, wherever you hang out online!  I want Harley to go viral, LOL!

Neeltje, thank you SO much for creating this page for Harley - it's beautiful!!

All By Myself...

Harley doesn't want to be all by himself anymore...

Another page (from me this time) for Harley. Harley is an adoptable cat located in Woodbridge, NJ. He's currently being fostered, but doesn't get along with the resident cats in the household and so he's kept segregated and is lonely. All he wants is a human to call his own, and will allow him to be an only cat.

Please contact me for further information or if you're interested in adopting Harley; transportation for a meet and greet is available, if you're not in the immediate area. (and just an FYI, I'm not the person who will make the decision on who adopts Harley, his foster mom will)

The kit I used is DaisyTrail's Moonlight Forest; lyrics by Eric Carmen and Sergei Rachmaninoff, info courtesy of Wikipedia.

Harley's message in a bottle: SOS, I really need my very own human to love...

and to make me their special boy.

Awww.  Yes, Harley, you do need your very own human to love and who will make you their special boy.  We're working on it and will, hopefully, have success soon in finding you a new home where you can be King Cat.

Here's another page from Pauline, my friend at ScrapbookFlair, in anticipation of the Harley's Angels challenge which starts on July 1st.

Another terrific page (see yesterday's Harley post for Pauline's first page).

Pauline used the kit "Ocean Breeze" by Courtney's Digiscrappin', available at Angel Baby Scraps. It's such a pretty kit, thanks Courtney!

Harley wants his own human to love

is the title of this wonderful page for Harley in anticipation of the Harley's Angels Challenge at ScrapbookFlair.

Many, many thanks to my friend, Pauline, from London (England, that is!) for creating this beautiful page.  It was Pauline's idea to run this challenge to begin with and, for that, I thank her!

Pauline used the gorgeous kit by Courtney's DigiScrappin' (via Angel Baby Scraps Store) called Elegant Garden.  Terrific kit, go get yourself a copy!

Smudge found a home!

Smudge went to her new home last night, after vetting by us at work.  Smudge's story gives hope to every animal that's been stuck in a shelter for forever - you see, she came to Angel PAWS as a two-year old in 2004!

The volunteer who took Smudge to her new home said this:  "Smudge came to us in 2004.  She was brought to us by another rescue person who had been fostering her for another group and needed to find a place for some of them.  We took a few cats from her, Smudge was one of them.  She was about 2 years old when we got her.  She was very timid, but loved pets, and liked other cats.  She tried to be a rafter girl, but didn't quite make it :-)"  
 

(a rafter cat is a kitty who's so scared, skittish, or shy that she goes down to the basement at the shelter and takes up residence in the ceiling rafters, never to be touched by humans again - or at least, close to never again.  They come down only when humans aren't at the shelter working.  Smudge tried hard; she'd hang out in the almost-tippy-top bed in the cat tree that's there, but she'd be just far enough down that we could give her pets and some lovin')

Here's Ms. Smudge in her new home (and new cubbyhole); I'm pleased to say that she seems to be acclimating very nicely already, which is something of a surprise to us all!

The wordart/bead strand translates to "It's a wonderful day" and it certainly WAS a wonderful day for Ms. Smudge!

The kit I used is Elle DeMai's Purple Addiction.

Harley's Angels

Even though the Harley's Angels Challenge at ScrapbookFlair doesn't start until July 1st, I've asked anyone who's creating their pages early to go ahead and post them to their blogs or Facebook walls now, so we can get the ball rolling on getting Harley seen.

My good friend Yvonne, who's from Australia, has created two pages for Harley and put them up on her blog, Lavender's Corner:

Thank you SO much, Yvonne!  Your pages are wonderful!

Harley's still looking for a furever home...

So Debbie had someone interested in Harley, and they just totally blew her off after making an appointment to see him. Boo!

I've created a new challenge on ScrapbookFlair called Harley's Angels. If you're a member of SBF (and I know a lot of you are!), please consider joining in the fun and let's see if social networking is all it's cracked up to be!  (and if you're not a member, join, scrap a page for Harley, and join in the fun!)

I've asked Debbie to choose the Challenge Owner's Choice award when the challenge is over; I hope she'll do it!  Otherwise, I will.

The kit I used for this page is called Mint Memories, and it's by Angel Baby Scraps.  Thanks, Angel!

Buster

Buster is an "older" kitty that came to the shelter at Angel PAWS recently.  Honestly, I'm not sure how he got there - but he did.  He had a bad eye, which needed removal, and we did that at the vet practice where I work.  Buster's a real sweetie-pie!

The really neat thing was that Buster was recently adopted!  I had the opportunity to meet the family the other day when they brought him in to have his stitches removed, and they're just lovely.  What's truly wonderful though, is that the child in the family wanted BUSTER, not some young and cute kitten!  

Wish there were more families like that out there - there are way too many older cats in shelters being overlooked these days in favor of the "cute" - older cats make wonderful companions and, for the most part, their destructive days are behind them, you know what you're getting as far as temperament, etc.

So...thank you for adopting Buster, and thanks to anyone out there who's adopted an older cat, or one with special needs!

The kit I used to scrap Buster is "Dusty Rose" by Angel Baby Scraps.  Thank you, Angel, for a beautiful kit!

Harley needs a furever home as soon as possible...

Harley is a sweet boy, currently being fostered in Woodbridge, NJ at an Angel PAWS volunteer's home.

The situation is becoming a little desperate - you see, Harley is a sweet, sweet boy who loves belly rubs and wants nothing more than to be with humans...but Harley doesn't love other cats, so he has to be kept segregated from the foster family's resident cats.

He's lonely and wants and NEEDS people to call his very own.  Won't you PLEASE consider taking Harley into your home?  Cats are easy to care for - all they really want is a couple of meals a day, a clean litterbox, and LOVE.  Harley can give that to you and much, much more...cats enrich our lives incredibly.  When I adopted my Oreo, all I could think of was, "Why didn't I do this sooner?"  Oreo was the love of my life - Harley can be yours! And if you can't take this boy in, think of your friends who might benefit from having him come into their hearts and spread the word!

Here's a video that his foster mom posted on YouTube - please watch it to learn more about Harley.

This is Harley's foster mom's information:

Harley was found outside, hungry and unable to walk on one of his rear legs. A rescuer was able to trap him and get him to the vet. It was found that he had an infected abscess on his paw as well as some already healing wounds on his body. He was given an antibiotic and the abscess is healing. He had it very rough outside since he had no idea how to survive.

He loves pets and belly rubs and will let you know when he wants more. He's about 2 or 3 years old and tested negative for FIV and FeLV. He has been neutered and is up to date with routine shots. He does have a hematoma on his left ear so it flaps over giving him even more character. It does not cause him any pain or discomfort.

If you're interested in adopting Harley, please contact me, Angel PAWS or his foster mom.  Even if you're not in the immediate area - we'll figure out a way to get you and Harley together for a meet and greet!!  And please pass the word along!  Thanks!!

June is National Adopt-A-Shelter-Cat Month

Should have posted this earlier in the month, but better late than never, right??  (you know how it goes, woulda, shoulda, coulda...and you don't, LOL!)

Anyway, it is the month to adopt a shelter cat, they make wonderful and loving companions.

But remember, it's for life - cats can live to 20 years and more now with good care, so adopting one is a real commitment.

There's NOTHING more sad than a cat that's returned to a shelter just because...

• she bites (misplaced aggression?  a child in the household tormenting the cat?  lonely and needs a companion?)... 
• she develops a manageable disease (diabetes?  chronic renal failure?  intestinal problems?)... 
• she urinates outside the litter pan (urinary tract infection?  sees a stray cat outside and gets stressed?  your dog is terrorizing the cat and keeping her from the box?  you don't clean the litterbox enough?  you have one litterbox for 3 cats?)...  
• she hides (did you assimilate her into the household properly?  has she been to a vet lately to check for medical conditions?  did someone abuse her?)...
• or my all-time favorite reason, WE'RE HAVING A BABY.  What, you think the two are mutually exclusive?  C'mon, that is NO excuse!

Trust me, I work for a cat vet, and I volunteer with Angel PAWS, and I've heard them all.  Mostly, all those reasons are bogus, sorry.  Would you return your kid for any of the above reasons?

And consider adopting an older cat.  Kittens are adorable but they're destructive (if they're not, there's something wrong, LOL!) and it can take a couple years for them to grow out of that destructive phase.  And, when they're very young, you can't always tell what their purrsonality will be - will she be a lapcat?  Will she be talkative?  Will she run the household?  Will she be passive?

Older cats have developed their purrsonalities so it's easier to know how they'll be in your home.  They've also been fully vetted as to shots, spaying and neutering, etc., so the upfront cost is WAAAY less than a kitten.  And most older cats are so grateful to get out of that shelter that they will truly be your best friends for the rest of their lives.

And...if you're gonna adopt one...consider adopting two together, so they have companionship while you're out of the house.  Two are as easy as one, trust me!

This is a scrapbook page I did for a challenge at ScrapbookFlair a while back, to commemorate an awareness day or month.    The kit I used was ScrapbookFlair's free Pet Collection, created by member benjigirl.

And, as I say on the page, if you can't adopt, consider volunteering at your local shelter.  They're ALWAYS in need of volunteers.  Be aware, though, it's work you'll be doing, not just playing with the kittens or puppies!  But there are other ways to volunteer than working a shelter shift - shelters need foster families, drivers for vet dropoffs/pickups, people interested in running/helping at fundraising events - there are a LOT of ways to help out!

And if you can't volunteer in person, please, please, PLEASE consider donating.  Cash, litter, food, towels, beds are all needed.  But contact the shelter first to see what their greatest need is - it may be different than what you think, or they may have specific food they like to feed or specific litter they use.  You don't want your well-intentioned donation to go unused (that's why CASH is the best donation of all!).

Introducing Dandy Lion!

Just a month old and with a nasty cold, Dandy Lion is the sweetest little boy and he's got a terrific, playful purrsonality!

Is he not just the cutest thing going?  He's gonna be a little devil when he starts getting into everything, though!!  (the pictures aren't the best - he wouldn't stop moving!)

The scrapbook kit I used is Angel Baby Scraps' Playful.  Very appropriate for this little squirt!