Knitted Flying squirrel

I had been tossing the idea around in my head for some time but wasn't sure how to tackle that.  Flying squirrels are velvety soft, dainty little rodents with one of the cutest faces in the animal world, and I was afraid that no matter what yarn I'd try it would not do the animal justice.  But then I finally simply started working on the body, and slowly the solutions formed in my head and then merely needed to be executed with the needles.

This is how I design everything, I see it in my mind first and then create it.

Well, here are a few pictures of the finished little squirrel depicted in full glide.  The head and face were the hardest part since getting that not quite right can ruin all the work until then.

Unfortunately, since I have discovered that my designs have also been copied onto some websites without credit given and one shadow box's image was actually sold on another website, I am forced to now watermark everything I post.  I hope you understand.

But now I want to give the needles a break and pick up some papercrafting once again.  It is time for new designs!

 I always hope for and welcome any and all feedback!

Happy spring, everybody, regardless how wet or cold -- it is officially spring!  If my snow bells can be eternal optimists and believe that warmer weather is on the way, then so can we, right?

Sigi

2014 Season has started

I thought the cold weather would keep babies safe a little longer, but I was wrong.  On 24 March an apple tree had to come down, and it housed a nest with three neonate baby gray squirrels.  The babies spilled out on the frozen ground as the tree fell and were lying there exposed to frigid temperatures.  The man didn't know what to do and left them on the ground as he went to call our police dispatch who in turn called Animal Control who then told him that she "doesn't touch wildlife" but may know someone who can help.  At least she called me right away and when I realized that the babies were still lying on the frozen ground I hung up on her and called the man.  He immediately followed my directions and whisked the babies off the ground and placed them in what was left of the nest for warmth.  Then he drove them over.

Normally I would try to reunite babies with their mother, but the freezing temperatures prevented that.  There was no way the babies could last for an hour or longer for mom to return and start transporting them.  And even a transport would have been risky and could have resulted in frostbite.  Neonates are unable to self regulate their body temperature and need a warm water bottle or heating pad on low underneath their bed to keep them from becoming hypothermic.  Once they are 7-8 weeks old they start to self-regulate, but not until then, regardless of how thick or thin their fur may be.  Hypothermia is a huge problem for us because until the babies are warmed up we cannot do a thing to help them.  Often finders try to feed an ice cold baby and then are surprised when it dies.  Never feed a cold baby, not even fluids, try hard to find a wildlife rehabilitator and only keep the baby warm.  A starving, cold baby cannot handle food, it needs the skilled help of a wildlife rehabilitator to bring it back from the brink of death.  Keep it warm and dark and quiet, and never allow children to handle a baby squirrel.  It runs on adrenaline, not food calories, and children can literally play a debilitated orphan to death.  I have had seemingly fine babies crash and burn once they came off the deadly adrenaline rush.  They need as much sleep as a human baby but hunger has kept them awake far too long already.

Closeup of a two week old neonate.  The whiskers are the first hairs to emerge, then very fine fuzz slowly forms on the nose.  The eyes are still developing within the eye sockets.  Its ears are slowly starting to detach from the skull, but the baby cannot hear at this age.  It identifies its mother by scent and touch.  Babies in distress emit a high pitch scream.  
Three neonates are a handful, literally.  Two boys and a girl, so far all are doing well.  Fingers crossed!

Spring flower cardmaking challenge entry

Well, since that thief already posted two of my designs on the current spring flower cardmaking challenge on www.cardmakingandpapercraft.com, I decided I should enter a few legitimate ones as well.  I expect the others to be taken down, of course.

Here are the cards I have entered.

But then I decided that I should add the cards that were stolen as well, so I did.

I think I made my point. It will be hard to dispute the rightful owner of these cards...   Of course it would be lovely to get an honorary mention, but this Melissa1986 may have ruined that for me.  

Happy Spring, everybody!

And while you may hate the snow and the cold, it does have a bright side:  it keeps people from cutting down trees on their property, leaving squirrels and their nests full of tiny babies in peace--for the time being...  

Please, always check for nests before taking down a tree!  If there is one, I beg you to be kind and not break a squirrel mother's heart.  Squirrels are devoted mothers and will fight for their babies if need be.  

How would you feel if someone destroyed your house and stole your children?  Animals have feelings just as strong as we do!

A thief came to my blog and stole...

I just learned that two of my designs, both original cards created with handmade flowers, were stolen by a person under the pseudonym Melissa 1986 and added to a challenge on www.cardmakingandpapercraft.com/challenge/spring-flower-cardmaking-challenge as her own creations.

These are the designs this person stole:

What an outrageous thing to do!  It is one thing if somebody semi recreates a design as long as credit is given to the original designer, but to steal it and submit it to challenges in hopes to win is an entirely different crime.  

I hope this person is red flagged and possibly caught and punished for doing such a rotten thing.  

Thank you, "playingwithpaper", for writing to me about this rotten deed.  I really, truly appreciate it!  

I would like to hear from others if this has happened to them and/or what can be done about that.  I have subscribed to that site and added my comments about the thefts, hopefully the challenge moderators will do the responsible thing and act immediately.  

This Melissa 1986 looked at the post where these cards are displayed on 21 March 2014, the same day she entered them in the challenge.  My visitor counter says she is from  Toledo, Ohio.  Please watch for such a visitor on your own blogs!  

Crafting, oh yes!

In case you're curious as to what I have been up to lately, this is just a glimpse.  My back went out just before Christmas and remained a problem, so I had to figure out what to do while more or less resting to let it heal.  Making baby booties was the answer, among other things.  

Then came the question what next, and here is a start.  Take a look at the video I posted.  More to come soon, lots of ideas are filling my head, if only my body would listen and let me do what I want again!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=etwOUpjhC0Y&list=UUbhuZUCn3c9vU_Lv5fsk08A

As always, I welcome any and all feedback.

Wishing you a wonderful rest of the week,

Sigi

A little bit Wildlife Rehabilitation once again...

I want to share a video I created with you all.  Hopefully you'll watch it even though it has nothing to do with crafting.  I am still doing that, too, of course, but this was important to make and I am really not good with video programs...


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=siArl96QqHA