Article: Take a piece of cardboard and draw a feather shape on it. You can print a template online if you don't want to draw your own feather shape. Carefully cut out the shape you drew. Do not worry about adding feathered edges. You will cut feathers into the actual leather. Keep the sides of your shape smooth. On the backside of your chosen leather, use a fabric pen to trace your shape twice. Slowly cut around the shape you drew. You should be left with two feather-shaped pieces of leather in roughly the same size. Take a small sharp pair of scissors. Use it to make tiny cuts about half a centimeter into your shapes running down either side of the feathers. This should provide fringed sides on either earring, giving your earrings the pattern of feathers. Feathers usually have a light line running down the center. You can use thread and a needle to create this line on your earrings. Choose a color thread slightly similar to the color of your leather, but a little darker so it stands out. Use your needle and thread to weave between the front and back of the fabric, stitching a small dotted line running down the center of each earring. When you reach the end of your feather, tie a knot with the thread to secure the thread in place. Then, cut away any excess thread. If you want to add a small gold tip to your feather earrings, you can do so. However, this step is optional. Dip a paint brush in gold acrylic paint and gently dab the paint on tips of your feather earrings. Once you've added the gold paint, you will have to gently separate the fringes on the edges of your earrings to prevent them from sticking together. Punch a small hole in the tips of each feather earring. Then, use pliers or your fingers to open to the hoops on the ends of two earring hooks. Fit the hooks through each hole. Use pliers or your fingers to close each hook tightly. Make sure the hooks are fully closed so your earrings won't fall off later.
Question: What is a summary of what this article is about?
Cut a feather shape out of cardboard. Trace and cut out your leather feathers. Fringe the edges of the feathers. Stitch a line down the middle of each feather. Add gold tips using acrylic paint. Attach hooks to your earrings.
Article: If it doesn't make her anxious to have your presence, watch your dog while she is laboring. You don't need to hover. Expect her to be uncomfortable during contractions, just like a woman would be. This is part of the process. In many cases, puppies are born in the middle of the night when you are sleeping. Make it a habit to check on your dog as soon as you wake up as she approaches her due date. The mother dog should clean her puppies right after they are born. Give her a minute or two to take the sac off the puppy and start licking and cleaning the puppy. If your dog is taking longer than that, you can step in and get the sack off and vigorously rub the puppy to dry and stimulate breathing. If necessary, you can carefully tie off the umbilical cord about an inch from the puppy and cut it with clean scissors. Puppies should start nursing within 1-3 hours after birth. You may need to place the puppy in front of a nipple and gently squeeze a little milk out for the puppy to get the idea. If the puppy absolutely will not nurse, or your dog won't let the puppy nurse, there may be something wrong with the puppy, like a cleft palate. Open the puppy's mouth and look at the roof of the mouth. It should be a solid surface without any holes into the sinuses. Consult your veterinarian if there are any concerns. You may need to tube feed or bottle feed the puppy with puppy formula if they are not able to nurse and are otherwise healthy. After the puppies are born, count them so you know exactly how many there are. This will help you keep tabs on the pups. The mother dog may want to eat the placentas, which is not harmful. She is getting back all the nutrients she put into her pregnancy. Don't feel compelled to remove them immediately. If she does not eat them, dispose of them in the trash. In some cases, eating the placentas may cause vomiting later. Remember that every puppy will have its own placenta. Puppies do not regulate their body temperature well and need to be kept warm. For the first few days after birth, keep one area of the whelping box around 85 degrees F. Then you can drop the temperature down to 75-80 degrees F. Provide extra heat with the help of a heat lamp in one corner of the whelping box. If a puppy gets cold, it will not move much. Check to sure the birthing area is warm and the puppy is staying close to mom and the other puppies. Schedule a visit with your vet for checkups after the puppies are born. The vet will make sure that the mother is healing properly and that the puppies are growing. If you own the father dog, ensure that he is in an area separated from the female dog and the puppies. Other dogs in the household should not be allowed to bother the momma dog and her puppies either. There is a risk of fighting between the adult dogs and possible risk to the puppies themselves. The female may get aggressive because she is protecting her puppies. This is normal and you shouldn't punish her for this instinct. Protective aggression toward humans may occur as well, so prevent children from bothering the puppies too. Unless she is filthy, wait a few weeks to give her a bath with a mild oatmeal shampoo formulated for dogs. Make sure to rinse her well in order to avoid leaving a residue that the puppies would come in contact with while nursing.
Question: What is a summary of what this article is about?
Keep an eye on your dog while she is giving birth. Make sure the mother cleans her puppies right away. Make sure the puppies are nursing. Count the puppies. Don't remove the placentas immediately. Keep the birthing area warm. Take the mother and puppies to the vet for checkups. Keep other dogs away from the mother and puppies. Do not bathe your dog immediately after birth.
Article: If your oximeter is battery-powered, be sure to keep it charged. That way if you need it in a hurry, it will be ready for use right away. Inevitably your oximeter will get dirty from use. Keeping the probe clean is important for two reasons. First, dirt and dust can block light emitted by the oximeter and lead to inaccurate readings. Second, buildup of microorganisms on the probe can cause an infection when you put it on. Use a lightly damp cloth or paper towel to wipe away dirt. Use an alcohol swab to kill bacteria and viruses. Make sure your oximeter is somewhere it won't get knocked over and damaged. If your oximeter is the plug-in type, make sure all plugs are out of the way and won't be tripped over. When unplugging a cable, you should always grab the plug itself, never the wire. This could damage the internal wiring and lead to a fire hazard.
Question: What is a summary of what this article is about?
Keep the battery charged at all times. Clean the probe section of the oximeter. Store your oximeter in a safe place. Disconnect all wires properly.