Name your shelter! Sponsored Giveaway!

We've got a great giveaway today -- this will benefit your favorite shelter!

You will have a chance to win a great product that will ship directly to the shelter that you name, and you will be mentioned as the person who nominated them to receive the product!

What is it? It's the Stretch and Scratch, from our good friend, Joan Laisney, "The Scratcher Lady"!!

Check this out:



Scratchers fill many needs for the kitties in adoption centers and shelters . . .cats can relieve stress by using them, and they get a good stretch when the scratchers are installed high on the cage wall or door. 

 
Here is what their creator, Joan Laisney says:

As a shelter volunteer, I saw lots of scratch marks on cage walls where cats tried to perform natural behaviors: stretching muscles, cleaning nails &  scent marking with their paws.  After months of testing, I created Stretch & Scratch pads.  Easy to install & affordable, big enough for a good scratch & small enough to see into the cages, shelter cats can get the cage enrichment they need while waiting for adoption.

You can help your local shelters by giving them a heads up: tell them to add these to their wish list -- link their request from their site to the Scratcher site, and donors can order them to be sent directly to the shelters!

Joan is offering a case of twenty-five Scratchers to one shelter, randomly chosen from those nominated here on this post. She's also offering a discount for those who would like to order some Scratchers for the shelter or adoption center of their choice -- just use the promo code 10OFF and you will receive a ten percent discount on your purchase price!

Here at the Lilypad, we have a special place in our hearts for rescue pups and kitties . . . even now we have a little femme fatale who needs a home; we all are trying valiantly to find Bertie a furever home!

Moses (The Studio Cat), Padsworth and DragonDrop have put their heads together and Snoodles has helped, too, but so far, we haven't found a place for her. If all else fails, we'll take her to the no-kill shelter near us, and they will find a home for her; she is so little, and so affectionate -- someone will fall in love with her! See?

Now, let's get down to where the litter hits the box (sorry) and tell you how to enter this giveaway!

Leave a comment on this blog post nominating your favorite shelter or adoption center to receive the Scratchers. Tell us the name and location . . . Easy peasy!  We'll leave the giveaway open for a week, and then ask Mr. Random to choose our winner.....but the discount code lasts till the end of August! Thanks, Joan!

Love,

Pet Show news! Another sponsor!

Our buddies at the Fat Quarter Shop have been long-time sponsors here at the Lilypad, and we love 'em! They've helped us with giveaways and allowed us to do lots of fun things for you special peeps. 

We're excited to announce that they are assisting us with the 2013 Pets on Quilts Show! Kimberly, Chelsey, and the rest of the FQS crew are offering a $75 gift certificate for one lucky winner at the show! Wowser!

Fat Quarter Shop is always fun to drool over, er, browse while you are planning your next project. They offer pre-cuts:

Yardage:

Kits:

Notions:

and all the latest from your fav designers:

They're a fabulous resource, and I hope you will stop by there soon!

Thanks, Fat Quarter Shop, for sponsoring a wonderful prize for our August Pet Show!

Love,

Well dressed

One of Snoodles' dear friends is SewCalGal . . . many of you follow her blog, where she shares insights on tools and tips that help quilters, embroiderers, and sewists. She shows us everything from free motion quilting designs to uber-cool software, from books to awesome tools. Her "12 Pocket Bag" is one that I really want to try!

A while back, she hosted a giveaway of some lovely fabrics and a pattern she provided, for "vests" for wine bottles -- seriously, these are neat additions to a gift you are giving, and can be tailored to the recipient, or to the occasion!  (Hey, I can see these in "black tie" for a special anniversary, or in red or blue velvet for Christmas or Hanukkah....)

Here's how mine looks, now that I finished it up:

(Had to borrow our shapely model there, but we go all out here at the Lilypad to show you neat things!)

Pop over to SewCalGal's and spend some time perusing her wonderful blog . . . I promise you will find a lot of interesting things to inspire you to add to your project list!

(I'm such an enabler. . . you really need more on your to-do list, right?)

Love,

The Raspberry Rabbits are sponsoring!

We're excited to announce another sponsor for the Pets On Quilts Show for 2013!

It's the Raspberry Rabbits crew!

If you have not yet visited their store, or spent some time enjoying the blog, you are in for a treat when you click on those links!

Hannah and Harrington are adorable, and they keep their mom, Michelle, hopping as they enjoy happy adventures and cook up things for everybunny to chuckle at!

There are such wonderful things in their store . . . Valdani floss . . .

 (Image courtesy of the Raspberry Rabbits store)

And scrumptious felts . . .

(Image courtesy of the Raspberry Rabbits store)

And wonderful kits for projects -- I didn't want to nab those pictures because they are copyrighted, and besides, I want you to hop over there and see them for yourself! You just may be inspired to try one of Michelle's awesome designs! (She even designed the "Carrot Run" block in the Quiltmaker's Magazine 100 Blocks, Volume 7!!)

We were so grateful that Michelle and her cuddly employees sponsored prizes in the 2012 show, and we are falling-off-the-lilypad-excited to show you what they are offering to a lucky winner for 2013!

This adorable pair of bunny scissors, and a $20 gift certificate to spend in the Raspberry Rabbits online store!
Woot!  Thank you so much, Michelle, Harrington, and Hannah! We love you!

Better warm up those cameras and see if your pet will pose for you! The show is coming soon!

Love,

Padsworth's Project - Part of the Show

Ribbit!

Padsworth, here, to tell you some more about my project! It's near and dear to the hearts of all of us here at the Lilypad, and you can see on this page that we've dedicated our efforts to Pepper -- our rescue pup who crossed the rainbow bridge last November.

My project is all about making beds and blankies for animal shelters and rescue efforts. Most of us have a shelter or a rescue near us, and all it takes is a call or a visit to find out if they are interested in receiving handmade, sturdy items to help their pups and kitties show off their cuteness when prospective pet parents come to call.

We've talked before about how the animals in a shelter are frightened and lonesome, and many times they are stressed by the animal in the next cage. When you have been kept awake all night by your noisy neighbor, by the hard surface of your enclosure, or you are longing for a snuggly place to lie down and rest, it is really hard to look your cutest and friendliest when folks come to see you!

Our efforts will not only contribute warmth and comfort to the dogs and cats, but also help them to present well to prospective new pet owners.
There are some organizations that specialize in this type of community service, and one of those is Kennel Comforters.  (You can click on that linkie and go to see their site.)
Kennel Comforters is an all-volunteer group -- their site says they have donated over 11,000 beds to shelters! Ribbit!

Their site has lots of great posts to show you how to contribute; you can donate via paypal, or you can use their patterns and instructions to make beds!

These folks really do it right! There are instructions to help you make rectangular beds, round beds, large and small beds!

And for each one that you make, and post a picture on our page, you will receive TWO entries in our prize drawings at the Pets on Quilts Show 2013!

We had a chance to "talk" to their founder via email, and we loved hearing what Joan Laisney had to say:

Hello Snoodles,
Nice to meet you; it takes all of us to help homeless pets in shelters.  The staff barely have time to feed, clean and medicate, so most shelters have volunteer support groups wanting to help with the extras to make pets comfortable.
We have been sewing beds 4 years, almost 12,000 pet beds, and we operate with donations and volunteer hands.  I have heard from Japan to Germany of others doing the same as individuals.  There is a large group in NYC who have made beds for years. (Shelter Pet Project?)

Our biggest challenge is getting volunteers who will sew; I do a lot of recruiting via CraigsList ads, fabric shops & sewing guilds, etc.  
What has helped the most is sewing AT the shelter...the public seeing us in action is a powerful tool!

Thru my shelter volunteering I designed a cat scratcher specifically for shelter cat cages.You can see it at StretchandScratch.com  
My "aha moment" came when I was helping Girl Scouts put their newly-sewn cat beds in the cages.  I saw scratch marks on the walls where cats had tried to relieve stress and get exercise. I envisioned exactly what they needed and I tithe a portion of sales to support Kennel Comforters.
I have zero money for advertising but word of mouth spreads fast -- shelters everywhere want the scratchers; my challenge is getting them to add a Wish List link to my scratcher website so donors will buy and send them. 
That's my story, I am called "the scratcher lady" and I'm sure my hubby will put it on my tombstone!
Joan Laisney

I hope that her story, and the Kennel Comforters site, will inspire you to help out your local shelter by participating in the Padsworth Project! Ribbit!

Don't forget now, the Padsworth Project is part of the Pets on Quilts Show . . . To be a part of the Padsworth Project, join our linky party on the Project page. Link up a blog post or a Flickr photo on our page, and you will earn TWO entries in the prize drawing after the Pet Show! And you can enter the linky party as many times as you want! (That's how much we want to see shelter animals comfy while waiting to be adopted!)

The Pet Show is coming in August, so you'd better get hopping!

Lots of love,