Save the bees--no honey, please!

I created this design after an unpleasant experience at a restaurant—a server argued with me about whether vegans can eat honey instead of just preparing my hemp shake with no honey. The Save the Bees line includes t-shirts, buttons, magnets, bumper stickers, and more.

For more information, please see

• Why honey is not vegan by Noah Lewis
  
• Is honey vegan? by Joanne Stepaniak
  
• Bees page at the Vegan Society
  
• Honey: From factory-farmed bees at the PETA website
  

My son, shown at the right, convinced me that the "Save the Bees" bee could stand alone. The Big Bee t-shirts, buttons, mug, and other products are suitable for everyone who loves bees, even people who aren't vegan (yet).

Hilarious satirical "Meat Eater Pride" t-shirts

I didn't create the image at the right, but whoever did and opened the Meat Eater Pride store at CafePress.com is an evil vegan genius!

This revolting image (the products have the slogan "Murder is yummy" written in bloody letters) really communicates how foul meat-eating is. And s/he may even trick some meat-eaters into buying and wearing it!

Winter is really here

Well, now the snow is staying on the ground and it is bitterly cold. I hate the winter, especially now because my fibromyalgia makes cold painful. But my son Nicky is very excited and happy that the snow is here. I got him a nice warm jacket, hat, gloves, and boots—he's looking forward to getting out there and playing in the snow. Although the cold is unpleasant for me, it is good to see Nicky so happy.

The teddy bear at the left is decorated with a bee that Nicky drew in Adobe Illustrator (with some help from mom). In fact, Nicky has his own little Cafepress store devoted to products with this bee picture.

33 Vegan and Vegetarian Designs!

Today I added a new section with 33 new vegan and vegetarian designs (3 by me, and 30 from other shops at CafePress.)

The vegan design at the right is by April Marie Mai, a talented vegan artist from Kansas City. April Marie has also created vegetarian and veg*n versions.

Bettas don't like living in vases

I always hated the concept of keeping betta fish in vases (or other tiny bowls), but it was not until I took in Jellybean and researched betta care that I truly understood how horrible betta vases and other fish bowls really are. (The magnet at the left is from Suzanne's Random Shiznit at CafePress.)

Briefly put, keeping fish in bowls kills them, sooner or later. Fish bowls are so small that the fish's bodily wastes build up rapidly to dangerous concentrations, unless you change the water very frequently, which in itself is stressful for the fish. Usually fish bowls are not even filtered. Furthermore, fish bowls are too small to be heated safely. Bettas are tropical fish and like their water around 80°. Living in too-cold water is just one more stress on their system.

Please, if you have a betta or other fish, research its care (there are many excellent sites online) and do all you can to meet his or her needs. Your fish will be happier and healthier. Every pet deserves proper care, no matter how small it is or how cheaply you bought it.

Happiness is being vegan!

Happiness is being vegan, and knowing that you are minimizing cruelty to animals and environmental destruction, while improving your own health!

Spread the good news about veganism with this cheerful design, available on a variety of shirts, including an organic cotton vegan t-shirt, buttons, magnets, caps, bumper stickers, and mugs!

The colors of this design will look very similar in print as on the screen (I can't say they will be exactly the same because every monitor is different.)

Until December 6, customers in the United States can get free shipping on orders of $50 or more! So get your holiday shopping over with today, and avoid the shopping mall crowds.

My boyfriend has a blog!

That's my gorgeous boyfriend, James Smart, at the left.

James has just started his own blog today: Ramblings of a Madman.

James wasn't always so lean and fit. He lost 100 pounds through Weight Watchers, and has kept it off with the help of a vegan diet. But I'll let him tell you about that in his blog.

(Even before he lost the weight he was very cute.)

Sign the petition for more certified fair-labour clothing at CafePress

If you care about the treatment of workers, please sign Christina Arasmo's petition to get CafePress to offer more sweatshop-free t-shirts (etc).

Christina has a beautiful store at CafePress.com called Vegan of Light. All of the shirts she sells (vegan, vegetarian, and spiritual designs) are certified sweatshop free, made by American Apparel. At the left you can see her beautiful "See Yourself in Others" organic t-shirt.

I'd like to thank Christina for making me aware of the sweatshop issues. She inspired me to carry only adult t-shirts made by American Apparel in my Cafepress shop, Compassion Fashion. (Unfortunately, the baby's and children's shirts in my store are not certified sweatshop free, because CafePress does not yet offer any sweatshop-free clothing for babies and children.)

Please, if you haven't already, sign the petition! CafePress has over 2 million members; you can be sure they are selling a lot of t-shirts, so their decisions have a big impact! Thank you!

Invite Christmas kisses with a sprig of Mistletoe

Well, Nicky decided he didn't want to go to the science centre so I did get a new design done today!

I was inspired by azspirit, who has a selection of Christmas underwear at her SpiritKeep Shops. Her designs are great, but I immediately thought, "Where's the mistletoe?"

This sexy yet tasteful mistletoe thong would make a great gift for the woman in your life—or for yourself.

My selection of mistletoe products for Christmas also includes t-shirts, camisole, boxer shorts, buttons, magnets, stickers, and more!

Funky black cat mugs, totes, t-shirts, baby clothing, etc!

I've got ideas bubbling away in my head for the shop, but no time to develop them—I promised my son I'd take him to the science centre today. So once again I'm plugging someone else's work.

Darice Pauselius is the talented graphic artist who created the cat design shown; her black cat merchandise also includes a black cat with a green ball of yarn and a black cat with a blue bowl of fish. (While all the designs look great, please don't put fish in a bowl in real life.)

Pauselius Art+Design also has fun black dog, Christmas, polka dot, and baby designs. In fact, I've been meaning to mention this shop in my blog for a while so maybe it's just as well I don't have time to work on my own shop today.

But hopefully soon I'll have time to develop more designs for my shop; I'm planning another geisha, an anti-racism design, and an anti-fishbowl design.

Fun kitty pirate design!

Unfortunately, today was not the most productive day, as I spent hours knocked out by my fibromyalgia. So once again I'm plugging someone else's design instead of developing one of my own.

This cute kitty pirate design shows a cat skull with catnip mice instead of crossbones. It's from Luna Crafts, a CafePress shop which also has an amusing Kitty Porn design, Tarot card ornaments, and more!

Beautiful frog painting!

I wish I could paint like Kathie Miller does, all of her paintings at her CafePress shop, Art from Nature, are absolutely gorgeous.

I especially love this beautiful red-eyed tree frog, and had to share.

If you'd like the beauty of a RETF in your home, don't buy one from a pet store or breeder. Frogs have special needs which require a lot of research to understand and meet, and do not enjoy socializing with humans—they do not want or appreciate our companionship. I have two African dwarf frogs (rescued from a neighbour who had been given incorrect information about their care, and whose kids were no longer interested), and they still seem to fear for their lives whenever I have to clean the tank. I believe captivity is stressful for frogs; while those who are in captivity should be cared for as best we can, we shouldn't be capturing or breeding frogs for lives in captivity, or financially supporting those who do. Thanks to talented artists like Kathie Miller, we can enjoy the beauty of frogs and other wild animals in our homes, while letting them stay in the wild where they belong.

Cat lover gifts: 15 beautiful, cute, and unique designs

For all my fellow cat lovers, I've created a page of gifts for cat lovers, including my own cat designs and a selection from other fine CafePress shops.

The beautiful brown tabby cat at the left is from Full Moon Emporium. It reminds me of Pecan, my handsome brown tabby whom I rescued from an abusive situation (physical abuse and neglect). After such horrible treatment, Pecan would have been fully justified in hating humanity, but incredibly, it was just the opposite. Pecan was the only cat I have ever known who liked being hugged. At night he would sleep in my arms.

Pecan passed away after only two years with me (I don't know how old he was when I got him). I still miss him. He was a beautiful soul.

Black Egyptian Mau Stickers for Cat Lovers

Stickers are selling well at Compassion Fashion, so today I added 3 more based on my painting of Cleo. Cleo was the first cat I knew well. My sister adopted her from our vet when we were in high school. Although Cleo has long since passed on, I still have fond memories of her, memories which have led me to adopt more cats (currently Felicity, found on the street, and Gremlin and Tetoun, from the Kensington Market Cat Rescue). Tetoun is a very handsome domestic shorthair black cat. These stickers are printed on vinyl in quality inks that will not bleed or fade. Buy one to put on your car or bike, and proclaim your love of your pet to the world! Also makes a nice stocking stuffer for your cat-loving friends.

Japanese Geisha Christmas Card!

Here's a fun addition to the Beautiful Geisha line: a Beautiful Geisha Christmas card! East meets west in this fun illustration of a geisha holding a Christmas stocking. Inside, katakana text reads "Merii Kurisumasu"—Japanese for "Merry Christmas".

This one-of-a-kind card will wow your Japanese-speaking friends. Merii Kurisumasu!

November 20 is the Transgender Day of Remembrance

November 20 is the Transgender Day of Remembrance, a time to remember the tragic loss of those murdered because of hatred of transgendered people.

Our Gay Apparel has created a selection of products for Transgender Day of Remembrance, including the organic cotton fair-labour T-shirt shown. (This shopkeeper is not receiving any profits from these products, and I have not put my affiliate code on these links.)

Let's remember the innocent victims, and continue working for a day where we can all safely be ourselves.

New and Improved Vegan-Power T-shirts

I've revamped the Vegan Power design to state the most popular advantages of veganism: "Protecting animals and the environment. Creating optimum health." This new line includes vegan organic T-shirt, vegan fitted T-shirt, vegan "baby doll" women's T-shirt, vegan hoodie, vegan tank top, vegan baby T-shirt, vegan children's T-shirt, vegan apron, vegan tote bag, and more!

More beautiful geishas

I've continued uploading more Beautiful Geisha products. At left you can see the beautiful geisha large framed print (also available: beautiful geisha large framed print with blue background). As well, I've added geisha buttons, geisha minibuttons, geisha magnets, and a new geisha Christmas ornament.

More beautiful geishas!

I'm expanding the popular Beautiful Geisha line with a set of the geisha on a white background (I've still kept the older design with a blue background and black frame). This dramatic throw pillow will add a touch of Japanese elegance to your decor. There are many other unique geisha gifts at my shop including mugs, mousepads, clocks, posters, t-shirts, greeting cards, notebooks, and more!

New, extra-colourful Vegan Power merchandise

I've added the new, improved, rainbow background Vegan Power design to the rectangular magnet. A cool thing about these magnets is that you can save by buying in bulk (sets of 10 or 100). Selling these magnets would be a great fundraiser for your vegan or animal rights group.

Of course, if you want to make a BIG statement, you might prefer this big, bold Vegan Power framed print! It measures 15" x 19", with a stylish white matte and black frame, and is printed with archival-quality inks on acid-free paper. This brilliantly coloured print will become the automatic focal point of any room. Perfect for your living room, bedroom, dorm room, kitchen, or office!

More Vegan Power madness—durable rectangular sticker for your bike or car!

As promised, I'm extending the Vegan Power line with another product. This colourful sticker will look great on your bike or car. It's made of durable vinyl printed with inks that won't fade or bleed. Spread the word—Vegan Power!

New Vegan Power Ornament

Tonight, I added a round ornament to the Vegan Power line. The ornaments (aka "keepsakes") are currently on sale—$2 off until November 14 (use the code "Holiday2" when checking out). Most of the Vegan Power merch currently has rainbow letters on a white background, but I'm adding products with this newer version, white letters on a rainbow background, throughout this week. Groovy, baby!