Nims bravely enters the tub
Miss Nimbus had one bath, months ago, when her white coat was really dirty. She did not take kindly to this warm water dousing, and has been hesitant to even enter the bathroom, and especially not the dreaded bathtub!
Mo hops in the tub often to check out the dripping tap and get some really fresh water. I was thinking it would be handy if she were aware of this extra water source, and wanted to quell her fear of the bathroom, so I decided to try bribing her with food.
They both adore Hills Tartar Diet food, which I originally got for Mo’s dental health. I tried leaving a couple pellets of this treat in the bottom of the tub for Nims. At first she was very interested but would not go near it while I was in the bathroom. Later I checked and it was gone. Soon she was putting her paws up on the edge of the tub and watching me put out treats, licking her lips, then she was brave enough to jump in the tub – but immediately jumped out with the food in her mouth to eat it in the safety of the doorway. Pretty funny. Finally she was relaxed enough to eat what she found right there in the tub.
Here they are having a tussle in the kitchen. They will play fight and chase each other around the house. I hope they are playing more than fighting, sometimes I break them up when it starts sounding too mean.
Nimbus and Mo play fight
black, gold and blue focal bead with moonstone accents
This week’s handmade Aura Sun Arts creation features a focal bead with a black core, drifts of metallic gold and bluestone, and captive air bubbles encased in clear glass.
The lentil shaped moonstone accent beads along the necklace have their own mysterious hints of blue and gray. So sophisticated!
It measures 18 inches; the balance of smaller seed beads are in colors of matte and oil blacks and gold.
Click to see it close-up for true appreciation.
To learn more about the optical properties of moonstone, you will find the Wiki entry on adularescence is most enlightening.
Nims chasing a Christmas Mouse
The cats had a festive holiday, a dusting of snow, special treats to eat, a little catnip, and Christmas presents! Here is Miss Nimbus chasing a Christmas Mouse that has a special pull string to make it animated.
One cat carried said mouse upstairs, the double-take when you spot a mouse in your bedroom is entertaining. In the photo you can just see the gold ribbon on the back of Nim’s collar. I had super glued several festive streamers on her collar and she promptly pulled all but one of them off. She then lost her collar outdoors, and I put on a substitute new collar, a soft baby girl pink that complimented her ears. A white cat with white ears is something to watch. The vet pointed out to me that when she is interested in something, the blood flow increases and her ears turn a bright pink.
A few days later I found her original collar outdoors. When I held it up to put it back on her, she heard the bell and ran for it. No self respecting cat would want to wear gold streamers, please let me keep the pink collar!
Mo, Sawdust, and Nimbus
Here they are hanging out watching Mr Sawdust, who had been showing off his tree climbing skills. Sawdust even got a pinch of catnip out on the porch, to ring in the new year.
Are you having a White Christmas in your neck of the woods?
Snowfall at the homestead
This snow fell in Seattle back around Thanksgiving, and the snowflakes caught in the light of the flash inspired me to make a black and white necklace.
The two smaller beads on the table will be earrings to match. The three hand made beads are black and white with traces of gold and blue sparkles. The necklace is 17 inches long. Click on the image for a closer view.
Wishing all a tranquil season of peace on earth.
Classic black and white, earrings to follow
Mr Mo came home with me just before Christmas, December 18th, 2004.
Mo as a kitten. He was a feisty little guy, unafraid of the bigger cats where he grew up.
He had a grayish body with faint tiger stripes, and darker black “points” or extremities; his tail, legs, and head. His sister Stella was more flashy, with the polka dot tummy and bolder tabby stripes, but Mo was the kitten for me.
getting into mischief
Here is another shot that shows how silver his coat appeared. Before long he got his longer black outer coat in and the gray undercoat was hidden. Now if he is out in strong sunlight you can sometimes still see the hidden tabby stripes. He has a stripe of longer fur along his back and tail, and of course on his head as his mini-mohawk. On the rare occasions when he is alarmed and puts his hair up you can see this. Reminds me of a fish raising it’s dorsal fin so it appears too big to swallow.
I was re-painting the living room shortly after he arrived, and he delighted in tunneling under the clear plastic drop cloths, and playing fetch; chasing small balls, returning them to me to be thrown again.
He has been a great buddy, very affectionate and entertaining, that’s my Mo.
Festive set
Today’s featured beads are on the festive side.
The three large encased glass cylinder beads were hand made at Aura Sun Arts as a matched set; they have air bubbles, traces of gold and bright splashes of colors inside. The largest measures 16 x 14 mm and is strung on an 18 inch necklace with a double strand of accent and seed beads in the same colors.
The matching earring beads measure 14 x 11 mm and dangle on shepherd hooks. Click on the image for a closer view.
This morning’s broadcast of Sunday Morning on CBS featured a segment on “Beads of Courage” an organization that donates beads to children with serious illnesses. They accept donated beads and have a page that details what beads they especially need. I look forward to creating some special beads for them. Either link will get you to the video of the segment that was aired this morning.
For the children involved, having a necklace that details their treatment milestones is a tangible way to be proud of their courage.
Hello Mo fans!
snow camouflage
We had a nice dusting of snow for Thanksgiving, so pretty watching it fall and transform the landscape. This was likely the first time Miss Nimbus had seen snow, and I saw her shaking her paws. With her white coat it turned her into the camouflage kitty.
After a lovely Thanksgiving dinner with family, I was home on the sofa watching TV with a furry fake leopard throw blanket on my lap. Mo came by to purr and be petted on the lap. Soon it was the turn for Nims, who was being extra affectionate. After walking along the back of the sofa purring and rubbing up against my head, she settled in for some lap time herself. Hah, Mr Mo, who is now on the floor, gets jealous and stands up on his back legs to swat her twice, trying to shoo her away. I made him desist, but he came back a little later, noting my now reclining pose, he took the shoulder spot, and there I was, with a blanket and two cats keeping me toasty. A festival of felines, a pile of purrieness. Snow always makes me thankful to be warm.
snow falling softly
Spiral peyote choker
Today’s necklace features an Aura Sun Arts lampworked bead with blues and traces of gold.
The necklace is 16.5 inches long, and is strung on stainless steel beading wire, with a tube of spiral peyote stitch seed beads embellishing each side. The seed bead work is done with a tiny needle and upholstery thread. Click on the image for a larger view.
Weaving the beads and thread is somewhat like making running bond brickwork. You will have a string of beads with alternating beads standing taller, and you add the next bead between two tall neighbors. I have used seed beads of three different sizes here, which makes the pattern more free form.
The Wikipedia article on brickwork has some interesting terminology for bricks, like soldier, sailor, shiner and stretcher; all names for how the bricks are placed in the wall.
The bead weaving is a slow process which makes this style more expensive, resulting in a price range of $90.00 to $120.00 for this one or similar necklaces.
Hello Mo fans!
Movember is here! No it’s not a typo, Mo is saluting Movember Australia, a group that promotes November as a month for awareness of men’s cancer issues, similar to October being Breast Cancer Awareness month. Mo is Australian slang for a moustache, and to support the cause men grow a mo for the month, or if they normally wear one they shave it and regrow it that month. It makes for many a conversation starter on an important topic.
Please pass this on, and grow a mo if you can! Check out their website for info on becoming a Mo Bro or Mo Sista, and look for Mo Merchandise too.
Now my little Mo is named for the natural Mohawk hairdo he sports, but he still supports the Mo Bros. He also has extra long hair all along the length of his spine, only visible if truly alarmed.
Mo's tiny Mohawk hairdo
After a summer of bead making, when the cooler weather arrives, it is time to string up your creations into wearable jewelry. There are so many ways to do this, but the very simplest is to wear a bead on a ribbon or leather cord. Another easy way is with flexible beading wire and crimping tools. With a crushable tube of silver (a crimp bead) you can secure the wire to the end clasps to finish your strand.
Finished strand of beads with loose seed beads
Here I have a blue green center bead I made with some companion beads – seed beads and some slightly larger beads for more color and contrast.
A variation on this would be to have three or more strands of smaller beads holding that larger center bead, the multi-strand necklace. Next time I will have a knit tube of seed beads forming the necklace to show off, stay tuned.
the mo report | mary | 
January 16, 2011 6:46 pm | 
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