Taking a break

I'm taking a break from blogging. Not that I haven't been doing that already, but I need to let all my wonderful followers know. I'm studying full time now, a Diploma in Wildlife Management, and I don't have the time to craft or to write posts. I'm also getting immunized so I can work with bats, and that will take up a lot of time as well.
If I'm able to, now and again I will post an update on how I am, things I've thrifted, new animals etc.
I'll be back eventually and don't forget that you can find me on Instagram under "kraftypanda." And if you don't have instagram on your phone, you can have webstagram on your computer. Go here for my profile.
But for now, stay safe my friends.

2013 Hottie Challenge

I decided to join in with the Hottie Challenge this year. Thanks Cam for encouraging me!
So this was my blank canvas -

And this is my finished entry -

I've entitled it "What a Hoot-ie".
Hopefully I can raise a little money for the Margaret Pratt Foundation along with all he other amazing entries so far!

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter everyone! I hope your day is spent with friends and family and chocolate and Easter egg hunts!

 Made this little Easter diorama jar. The flocked bunnies are adorable! I love this idea, think I'll make some more jar dioramas in the future.

Meet Blue

So I got a knock on the door at 7am this morning. There stood my neighbor with a large box, and inside was a tired, dehydrated cute-ugly little parrot chick which her dog had found while out walking.
Oh my, such a helpless little thing! How could we say "no"?

I've narrowed down his species to either a pale-headed rosella or a galah. I'm thinking it's a rosella though.
Improvisation managed to get some food and liquid into him until the pet shop opened at 9 and I could get some granivore baby formula.

So yeah, I've got a busy few weeks ahead of me, but so far he's proving an absolute delight. I've named him Blue, after the macaw in "Rio" and after the tiny blue pinfeathers starting to appear on his wings.

Lion Shoes

Requested and made for a friends 11yo daughter.

Canvas Shoes

Having been inspired by these shoes I showed in the last Friday Favorites, I set out to make a pair for myself. Nothing quite so fancy, just some owls.
Big W, Kmart and Target all have a selection of white canvas shoes but Kmart were the cheapest at half the normal price.
Cue sharpies and a led pencil to first trace my design.
Viola!! My new owl shoes.

You like? Well my friends did. I have now been commissioned to make shoes for all their kids, and my Mum wants a pair too.

book review: Good Mews

My new book, Good Mews by Kitty Chappell, is a perfect book for the Christian cat lover. I adored reading this book for the first, second and third time, as well as lending it out to several friends.

I cried, I laughed, and I totally recommend this book to anyone who loves kitty stories with a few Godly insights for inspiration. You can buy the book here with free postage!

Owl

Look what I received in the mail today from Becca of beccasaurus.

She and I had a swap, some custom mustache pins for an owl. I must say I think I got the better end of the deal.

He is owlsome!!

Anzac Day

Babies

So anyone remember when Jasper got pregnant last year?
What ended up happening was one of the eggs traveled down into the stomach instead of the birthing canal, and rotted. It's called Peritonitis. So I took her to go see Terry, my reptile vet, and he ended up doing surgery on her. After scraping out her stomach of the rotted egg, he also took out her ovaries, leaving just a small sliver of one behind. Jasper was thin for weeks, I was so worried I was going to lose her. Eventually, in late December, she gained weight and I was thrilled. Then I felt her stomach and uh-oh, more lumps! They couldn't be eggs, because Terry had taken her ovaries out. So I took her back to Terry, and he took X-rays and indeed, she was pregnant again. Oh dear. With that small sliver of an ovary, she managed to become gravid.
Anyway, we waited for about a week, thinking we'd have to go back in and do more surgery to remove the eggs, but one night she could be heard digging in the sandbox and laid 22 eggs. She even covered them up afterwards, which was a fabulous sign!
Using the method a friend had taught me for removing reptile eggs, I placed them in a container and took them over to Debbie's to be placed in the incubator.
Jasper has gained back the weight, although she is skinnier than I would like, and is very happy and healthy!
And last night, Debbie messaged me "Your eggs are hatching!"
We rushed over to take some photos of them emerging from the eggs. 20 hatched out of 22 is pretty good for a lizard with an ovary sliver!I've decided I'll keep one. After all, it's Jasper and Diego's offspring!The others I've given to Debbie for her to sell. Who knows, their colour might be so nice she'll keep a few herself!Aren't they the cutest things? No bigger than a 10cent piece!

Peg Dolls

A few months after starting out in blog-land, I was instantly drawn to follow a blog called Creative Breathing. The wonderful stories and photographs followed by joyous felt creations and then peg dolls was, and still is, truly inspiring. I enjoyed seeing her creations come to life with wonderful characters, but I especially enjoyed her peg dolls! Months went by and I won one of my very own Creative Breathing peg dolls!When she arrived, I instantly fell in love!
Looking everywhere for peg doll supplies, I realized that Australia just didn't have any. In desperation I contacted Elizabeth and she came to my aid, sending out a small box full of equipment to make my very own.Now, finally, after almost three years (my how time flies) I have finished making my first doll!She is a self-portrait. The eyes, hair, clothes and lovingly held lizard is just so me, I am very happy with the way she's turned out!Thankyou so much Elizabeth, for all your inspiration, generosity, and your wonderful friendship!

We Shall Remember

I can remember exactly where I was, what I had been doing, and what I did for the rest of the day.I will never forget the heartache I felt watching the news footage.I will never forget the look on George Bush's face when he was told the news.I was just a kid at the time, starting home schooling because I was too sick to go to school. I didn't even know what the World Trade Center was. I grew up that day. Finally I realized that life was fleeting. I had been raised a Creationist Seventh-Day Adventist, but had never fully comprehended what the Bible said about the future and end times. This day, I am sure, started the world into the downward spiral that will take us to Jesus second coming. All the prophecies in the Bible are now coming true, I see it on the news every day.I will never forget September 11th, as no one who was old enough to remember will.God Bless America as they mourn the 10 year anniversary of the day that stopped the world.If you would like to know more about what I believe and the many reasons why, this site and especially this DVD will tell you a lot.

I'm Back!!

I've been on holidays for the last 16 days! Did you miss me? Probably not as I set up some scheduled posts to keep the blog occupied. I had an absolute ball!First, I flew down to Canberra to see my brother and meet his new family, including my new niece, and to catch up with my parents.We went shopping in the huge Canberra Center, where I bought some fun new stuff and presents for friends.We went to the National Zoo and Aquarium, a privately owned zoo, where I got to Meet a Cheetah!If you ever go, it is so worth it!!! She lay there and purred the whole time as the other two stalked around the enclosure. I'll post some of my favourite pictures from the zoo soon!
We went to Parliament House, and because my brother works there, we got special passes which enabled us to go places where normal tourists aren't allowed.Ever seen Julia Gillard's office? I have!We also went to the Canberra Reptile Sanctuary where I bought myself a little present. I'll introduce him in another post. Don't worry, this isn't him!We went to the Royal Australian Mint, and saw where they make money, along with other interesting things.Then we drove out of the ACT and into the blue mountains, all the way to Blackheath, where we picked up several boxes full of owls I had won on eBay (total score!!!) and then drove all the way back down them and up to Morisset where my aunt and uncle live.We were lucky as the next day it snowed and the Western Highway to Blackheath was closed!From there we did some more shopping (who doesn't love shopping?) and visited my Grandmother and other family members. This picture hangs above Gran's fireplace. She drew it using oil pastels, from a picture of the waterfall in the gully beside her house.My Dad and I went to the Australian Reptile Park in Somersby.We spent the whole day there, simply enjoying all the animals. I got to cuddle a few Tawny Frog-mouthspat a Boobook Owl, who was most disgruntled that I would even consider touching his beautiful feathersand when we left, the girls at the front desk allowed Dad and I to hold Tinka the white Dingo puppy!We went and visited my sister, brother-in-law and gorgeous niece Lily in Newcastle. Lily is 14 months old now and is the most gorgeous, most beautiful thing in the world to me! Isn't she a doll?I then flew back home via a few hours stop over in Brisbane.I've got heaps of pictures to share, but they'll have to wait!

Bird Sitting

Now I am feeling better and am back on the mend, I thought I'd share what's been happening around here.
I've been bird-sitting the past two weeks for friends of ours. This is their female Eastern Rosella (and man can she whistle!!) and Pale-headed Rosella male.Such gorgeous happy birds, we as a country are so lucky to have them as natives! They go home on Sunday, I am going to miss them.
Then my Mom brought over a kookaburra she had found sitting by the side of the road.I kept him overnight, and took him to the vets the next day, where they ascertained he was probably hit by a car and just stunned. So we drove him back to near where he was found (the university grounds) and released him.He was so happy to be free again!!
In the meantime, while we were at the vets they asked if I could take a yellow ring-necked parrot someone had found wandering around and brought in, while they looked for it's owner. How could I say no?So we brought "Sunny" home and not a day later got the call that they'd found the owner. We gladly let the woman come over to pick up the bird, who's actual name is Sunshine!! Good guess huh?
Hopefully they're all the birds we'll have for a while now, but you never know around here...