Hester the 'Award' Winning Cat

 Some of you may remember Hester, the little tabby who came to live with us not long after we got married. 

Hester is the 'kitten' of the house, according to my mother in law she is the naughty one, the curtain climbing, pouncing, skidding little rebel. I think she's ace!

One of her more endearing habits is that she sits on my knee and I have no shame in admitting I like it! 

Last week Cookson Gold, one of my recycled silver suppliers, held an entertaining competition over on facebook dedicated to photos of workshop pets. I entered the lower photo of Hester who is lying on my knee and having a good go at my bench peg and she was chosen as runner up! 

Hooray! On Friday a big jiffy bag of cat and jewellery-making-human treats arrived for us! Cheers Cookson Gold!

Changes in Season and Online

We've moved the living room into winter mode with the sofa closer to the fire place. The curtain over the front door has been pulled closed at night.  Wood has been chopped and the fire lit.  No sign of the first frost yet but it is autumnal and rather lovely to be at home.

Despite the roaring storms last week I am enjoying the season; we went to the beach to collect some glass today and got a good soaking. It filled me with joy for some reason. Possibly because it wasn't particularly cold out there and possibly because it's a blooming brilliant part of my working life.

Looking upstream and downstream near Allanton during last week's floods.

I do feel like I'm having to fight for time for my own work at the moment and my online presence is suffering. I've had such great support from customers online and I really don't want to lose that or let anybody down. I know nobody needs my bloggy rambling or to buy my work online, but it's important to me that the option is there; especially for people searching for ethical alternatives for jewellery purchases. And I simply want to make a living from my work and you, the people who read my blog, buy my work, attend workshops and chat with me are the ones who will make it happen and I thank you for that.

So, I've decided to go all out and change my online name; I've only been married a few months and am finding it confusing having two names! R was very happy for me to keep my maiden name but it was important to me to share his name. I was planning on keeping Cameron as a professional name, however, it suits me to just have one name what with being easily confused and all!  Over the next few months there will be changes; the first one being twitter as I figure out preferred domain names, website redesign etc.  It's exciting to be having a much needed re-vamp!  Hopefully by the new year it will all be done.  I will be concentrating on the festive build up getting extra pieces made so the website won't be making an instant appearance but I have been playing around with some designs.

In other news Hester kitten is getting bigger and Molly cat is marginally less angry about the whole situation.

Hester's first venture into the garden.

Speak to you soon!

*Thanks to R for the photos!

Hester

 We have a new beast in the house; a little tabby girl of just nine weeks old.

The list of potential names grew ever longer until we spotted the letter A she has; ginger on one side, black on the other.  So, Hester it is and she is beautiful.

Mysteries for Molly

 Since arriving, Molly has done a lot of snoozing on the hearth as shown above, however, on the morning of day 119 the warm had disappeared and there was much puzzlement.

The lack of heat coupled with the wind causing some spectacular howling down the chimney made for a very inquisitive cat who, without human intervention, may have climbed on up the chimney!  

I've arrived back in Northern Ireland and am trying to catch up on project 30 so I'm not bringing you festive frolics in January!  Hope you are enjoying the build up to Christmas.

Florals and Fluff

Day 110 and we finally put up some curtains in our bedroom!  Another vital getting ready for chilly winter step and so pretty and floral - thanks Mrs J!

Day 112 and the cat just keeps looking fluffy

.

Day 113 suggests Molly cat has fully settled in and, despite having been to the vets for injections, had a thermometer up her bum and stuff squeezed in her eyes she seemed quite happy to just loll about in front of the fire when we got back.

Fluff.

First Frost and Fluffy Trousers

Day 109 brought the first frost that I've seen so far this season.  I'm sure there has been some earlier while I was fast asleep and dreaming but this was the first I've been up and out in it.

With the crisp air and low winter sun it was a lovely morning for Molly's first exploration of the garden.  Under all that fluff she is quite slight and it really looks like she's donned a pair of furry trousers suitable for frosty striding.

Twenty minutes or so of sniffing and leaping out in the cold world brought Molly back inside for a lounge on the sunny windowsill.  Such a contented little cat who is clearly used to living in a home and made our job of helping her settle in very easy indeed.  It is so lovely having a wee beast around the house!

Meet Fluffy

On day 106 R and I went over to B.A.R.K to have a look at some cats.  We met the lady on duty who showed us up and down the kennels and we had the awful feeling of turning down lots of animals.  Two little kittens came and played with us and we were just deciding which to have when we were told they had to be rehomed together so we had another walk up and down and went outside to see a cat called Muffy.  A friendly, purring fluffball who had a good curious poke through the fence to see who we were.


We left the kennels to have a think and do the shopping and called in again on the way home to say we would visit again the following week and that we liked Muffy.  Then, after a chorus of 'Muffy's lovely, have Muffy' we went home.

With Muffy.

Day 106 A cat once called Muffy.

Day 107 and the name debate continues; Daisy was a contender, 'cept I kept calling her Daisy Renton and, if you've read 'An Inspector Calls', you'll understand why we changed our minds.

Day 108 and the little raggy doll of a cat has settled in splendidly, adopted all cushions as her own and is now called . . .

Molly.