Nog Pepper Me

A blog about 2 American Curl cats Nog and Pepper, and quirky me! We are crazy about Siberian cats, drawing, colouring-in, cross stitch, knitting, sewing and felting!

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Well I'm still poorly this week and it has been a lonnnnnnng one! So I've posted a photo of Nog and Pepper, my inspiration 😻

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Well I've still felt pretty rough the last couple of weeks and it's been a struggle doing anything. I have managed to progress the round wool shapes and we now have gorgeous colour with ears. It's a lovely mixture of pinks and purples. I've started to add more features and had chance to test drive my new spiral felting needles. They are different but give a nice smooth effect and felt quickly. I think I will use them for doing detail and for finishing. I want them to look professional and not amateur. I've bought a couple of quilt books too and it's something I want to try as soon as my project room is finished. We've ordered the ikea stuff and really excited that it will soon be ready to go. I just wish I felt better and I've had a few down days recently. I want to be well enough to do more but I don't and it never gets easier to accept :(

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Well after what seems an age of suffering with what I can only describe as a virus and I'm still not right :( I've managed to start on my show order. I've even got to grips again with using my multiple needle holder so working with two needles and it's speeding the whole process up. Yesterday even more exciting the order from Gretel Parker arrived containing 6 new needles which are spiral so I'm keen to give them a whirl. They are supposed to felt quickly but are smaller for giving a nice neat finish. My dad had is op and is now getting back to himself and going for walks without feeling like he's been hit by a truck! We're all glad he's ok now after a few scares. I can't believe we are in March! We had pancakes last night and rice pudding for dessert. Like we hadn't already eaten enough sugar! This was our second Pancake Tuesday after I told Andy it was pancakes two weeks ago :) well no harm doing a practice run!

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My first Best in Show Meow, for my friend Maria and gorgeous Chepchik, a Kurilian Bobtail Longhair. A well deserved win for a very handsome boy. I also created a fox last week and a lamb. I think the lamb came out better so I'm working on a different version of a fox. I've also been asked to create some Best In Shows Meows for an upcoming TICA show and I'm really amazed and excited to be asked. Everyone seems to love them. And it has given me some confidence. I've got lots to sort before then, packaging, marketing information and of course create the Meows. It is exciting though. I'm hoping that it will help get Nog, Pepper & Me known by a few more people.

[nogpepperme]

Well it's been awhile one because I've not felt that great having another bit of a health scare, two a family emergency my dad's health scare and three, any energy has been spent on one of my loves our furry family and four, OMG another birthday or two!! So about 3 weeks ago I went to the docs which resulted in another doc appointment where I was convinced that what I had would be dealt with quickly and easily. Well in true me style it can't be after leaving the docs in tears, I am now waiting for an ultrasound :( so I've been stressing now about what is known as my "tumour head". My poor dad had his own health scare which for added drama involved a late night trip to hospital, ambulance the works and a few days in hospital. Poor dad, I was very worried and just wanted to see him each day and be with my mum. So we had a few lunches in the hospital canteen and followed by afternoon visits. Dad is home now and a lot better, thank goodness. But it was horrid as he had a health scare but thankfully an additional test said it was treatable and not what we all were worrying about. The end of January, beginning of February was a Birthday fest!! First our very good friend Mim's. Who I made the cute little needle felted cat for with her own special birthday message. Mim loved her and I think it was a nice surprise in the post. Second was Andy's where bless him he spent the day hospital visiting. He didn't mind though and he said "dad would have done it for him". Then last week was my birthday :) which was a mega present fest and I have spent my birthday money already on a fab craft bag by Kipling, a super warm dressing gown and a pink purse. I had a fab birthday tea, yes at my age I still love my birthday teas :) I had gorgeous homemade cheese and onion pie by mum and a lovely owl cake off Andy and chocolate cake from Andy's mum. So a pretty awesome time! In the middle of all this we went to a show and both Akiro and Kimball made us very proud with 8 finals each and 2 BEST Finals each! Amazing!! Andy looked after the boys and mum came too to do her little stall. It was a bit quieter than years gone by for public but we enjoyed it and I like being in our own space with the boys. So that's it, other than the usual chomping through pain meds a mad few weeks. I'm still researching an Etsy shop. And I purchased my first little Tweet from Melanie at Felt Me Up Designs. It's gorgeous and I treated mum too as she runs herself ragged looking after us all. It was her favourite a robin with a pink twist for a Mrs Robin. So cute. I hope to have some photos ready soon to list some items as you can list 20 items for free via craftseller mag in February. I'm not expecting a mad rush it just gives me something to try and focus on other than pain and more pain. It's a bit scary too as I'm worried everyone will hate them or think they aren't good enough. I'm a perfectionist and I've been told I have a personalty trait which means I don't pace myself. Well I am going to try but it's hard changing how you are wired. I mean how do you rewire your brain?....

[nogpepperme]

This world saddens me...

Today I've been reading an article in Look magazine and it's not just about pretty clothes, hair and accessories. This article was about the women in Morocco who are made to marry the men who rape them. They are now trying to get the law changed and many are protesting against this 100 year old law. It really saddens me that in the 21st century such barbaric and outdated laws are still enforced. Yes over here we bitch about the fact we still don't have equal pay to our male work companions but at least in the eyes of the law we aren't subjected to anything as horrendous as the women of Morocco are. I really hope they win this battle soon if not for themselves but for their daughters, nieces and granddaughters.

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So much to read & learn!

I'm looking into how I could eventually sell my little felt creations online and its clearly looking that Etsy is the place to be. I might try Folksy too, the UK equivalent. But you need to stand out with thousands of people creating and selling on there you really need a niche. Well I think I've worked out my niche design and customisation I can offer. I've just got to prototype and pick the craft wire. Hubby is going to show me the difference in the different thickness of wires. At least felt objects aren't heavy. I think I've sourced where I can get some lovely recycled and recyclable boxes for the items as gifts. I want them to be look loved and special. Needle felting takes a lot of time so I don't want minimum wage or below I need something that pops! I really hope I get it right. There are lots of people on Etsy who do sell on there as their job but a lot are only selling on there as a hobby. Mine isn't a hobby, it's a distraction to help me manage the pain. Though some days I just can't even needle felt. I've found if I go from 2d art or brooch to a 3d object and change it about. I can manage the pain of doing the creating bit. But some days I just can't and I get frustrated, my iPad and TV are used those days to cause a distraction. And I do more research then but even that is a lot more difficult now. I don't have the brain function I used to have, I forget and lose concentration. I'm hoping by the time I've seen an article a few times I might remember I've already read it! Heh heh! So I have a limited amount of time each day, everyone thinks I have all day and yes I do, I'm not at work but I can't physically and mentally do too much. I have to remember pain management and pace myself. It's hard because I need that distraction 24/7 but I've learnt pushing through the pain can't be done all the time and when you hit that brick wall you spiral down and have to fight to get back. So if I've learnt nothing else I've learnt to try and avoid those moments. But as we learnt on the pain management course sometimes you just get flare ups and bad times and its nothing you've done. That's just the way it is...

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A couple of impromptu photos of Paavo aka The Potster! We think he looks fab and normally he doesn't pose for photos!

[nogpepperme]

Well the last few days have been busy with Christmas and we had a lovely time and received some super presents! I love Christmas, its so exciting and it's a day when I try to not think about how I feel. Today though I am just watching TV and going to do more felting. The photo is of some felt animals I've done as Christmas presents including the VW Camper van and pink owl brooch. I've also finished another owl brooch for my mum and I still call them badges! I also made my first badger and in remembrance of my childhood a little Dougal. I don't think he started out as Dougal but he looks cute and I'm pleased with him even though he wasn't planned! I keep seeing lots of talented felting people out there and I just want to be as good as them and I'm trying to not be over critical of what I do as I only started needle felting a month ago. I do enjoy it and hope one day somebody might want to have their own little Nog, Pepper & Me creation! So I will be going into 2014 positive, well as positive as I can be and keep telling myself I will be successful :)

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picsart.com

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A busy weekend at a TICA show. We hadn't been to any for a couple of months as I needed sometime away as I felt so rough and rundown and still managed to get a sinus infection. Oh hum... Well Andy looked after the show side with Akiro and Kimball. Who did really well and both made us so proud. Akiro had 8 finals and Kimball 4, and at only 9 months old that's an amazing achievement. Mum and I had a little craft stall of awesome knitted items made by mum and Aunty Joyce and some Pepper Paw pet blankets made by me. It was really good fun and I got on with some felting too. I completed my first needle felted brooch and mum fell in love with her so she has given her a loving home :) So even though I was tired and suffering last night and today we all had a fab time and we hope to do it again at another show. A big thanks to mum for all her hard work at the show and before in knitting some top baby things and pet pillows. I couldn't have done it without my mum and mum most definitely deserved the little owl brooch.

[nogpepperme]

10 posts!

[nogpepperme]

Felting, felting, felting with a Christmas Lunch!

Well the World of Wool order arrived and I've been busy creating a Hedgehog called Henrietta, a penguin called Prisca and her friend Raphael. So I've been enjoying myself and trying to beat my health demons! This week has seen the reoccurrence of my sore back, where the skin just hurts and burns. I call it my flogging! Or similar sensation to what I can only imagine flaying is like but it hasn't deterred me from my needle felting. I was also taken out for lunch yesterday by my mum and niece Georgina to the Rising Sun. Which was lovely and I had fab time. Georgina has passed her beauty and make up course with a distinction. So well done George, really proud of you and achieving this with so much going on at home. And my mum is an angel from heaven. She does so much and never complains and mum is suffering with a bad neck and shoulders too. Poor mum I wish she would look after herself more and not always doing stuff for us all. We also did a bit of Christmas shopping afterwards which was fun. So finally getting there. But I was so tired and burning when I got in. Which made me think again how the hell do I work full time again. I really don't know if that will be possible and I feel if I did it would crack my thin exterior and finish me for good...

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A little penguin called Prisca, by Nog, Pepper & Me!

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A little hedgehog called Henrietta, by Nog, Pepper & Me!

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A little Penguin called Raphael, by Nog, Pepper & Me!

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World of Wool and weekend!

Well I heard today that my World of Wool order will be arriving tomorrow! Very excited as bought lots of new colour wool tops and blends including humbug. This mixes different sheep wool together so I will be able to get some great effects. Andy and I had a fab time at our friends on Saturday but it went way too quick and on Sunday I was in a lot of pain and pretty worn out but I did do some new sketches for a penguin, hedgehog, owl and mr badger! Therefore can't wait for my new goodies to arrive. So more felting today but did get some fresh air. I took it slowly as it has been about 3 weeks with being poorly and it was hard going but glad I did it and it means I didn't feel so guilty eating a fondant fancy, shortbread and umpteen rich tea fingers :)