Thursday, 25 December 2025

**Meowy Catmas**Merry Christmas**Meowy Chrispmouse**Festive Greetings** from Wing Commander Basil & The B Team

 A festive winter scene featuring all of The B Team cats wearing red and white Santa hats, lined up in front of a snowy forest backdrop. A traditional red British telephone booth decorated with a holiday wreath stands to the left. Above the cats, bold red text reads “MEOWY CATMAS!” in a playful curved font. The image blends holiday cheer with feline charm, creating a whimsical and heartwarming seasonal greeting. Text at the bottom reads: “copyright www.bionicbasil.com”

Meowy Catmas Banner 2020 ©BionicBasil®

Dearest furbulous furiends

We would like to wish mew all a most epically epic festive time this holiday season and thank mew most sincerely for your continued company, comments and support throughout 2025. We feel so blessed to have such furbulous furiends like mew. 

And thank mew all for the beautiful Catmas cards. They bring a smile every time we see them!

Catmas Divider

Here's this year's official card. We are sorry that no physical Catmas card was sent this year. If mew saw the Midweek News last week, mew'll know that we had some issues with the printing, and we were sent another company's cards instead. 

Apologies for the absolute fluff-up. Next year we definitely won't be ordering during a Mercury retrograde! MOL

A festive holiday scene featuring the ten B Team cats wearing red Santa hats, sitting in front of beautifully decorated Christmas trees. The trees sparkle with ornaments like gingerbread men, candy canes, stars, bows, stockings, and presents, all lit by strings of white lights. In the background, a large full moon glows in a starry night sky, with Santa Claus in his sleigh and reindeer silhouetted as they fly across the moon. Bold red and white text at the top reads “MEOWY CATMAS!” creating a joyful and whimsical seasonal greeting.

A magical Catmas greeting card featuring a beautifully decorated Christmas tree glowing with lights, ornaments, and a star topper. The background is a starry night sky with string lights adding sparkle. Festive text reads: "WISHING MEW A MAGICAL CATMAS! EPICALLY EPIC FESTIVE PURRS" followed by the names of the BBHQ crew: Wing Commander Basil, Amber, Smooch, Parsley, Pandora, Fudge, Melvyn and Angels Humphrey, Snowie and Posie The scene radiates warmth, cheer, and feline love. Text at the bottom reads: “www.bionicbasil.com”
Catmas Divider

On that note, we'll wish mew a supurr blessed day and hope all your dreams come true.

We'll be here tomorrow with our Boxing Day post and look forward to your company as we share our favourite boxes of all time during our Boxing Day Extravaganza. 

FYI, Amber will be here on Caturday instead to join in all the blog hops and share more fun from her Egyptian adventures.

In the meantime, be...
Epically Festive Banner ©BionicBasil®

Wing Commander Basil & The B Team









Graphics created with paid licence www.canva.com 
Posted by at 3 comments:
Labels: , , , , , , , , , ,

Wednesday, 24 December 2025

**THE BBHQ CATMAS EVE NEWS ROUND-UP** Three Cats in The BBHQ Garden, Fudge in The Tree, Pandora in The Catservatory, and Melvyn's Modelling This Weeks Top Pick Bandana

A festive collage featuring twelve cats wearing red and white Santa hats, arranged in front of a background filled with stylized newspaper graphics and holiday decorations. At the center is a decorative label that reads: "CATMAS EVE NEWS ROUND UP WITH THE B TEAM @BIONICBASIL®" In the top right corner, a speech bubble from one of the cats says: "WHAT'S THE GOSSIP THIS WEEK?" The image playfully presents the cats as holiday-themed news correspondents, blending humor and seasonal cheer.

Epically Festive Catmas Eve Greetings Epic Furiends

Welcome to the BBHQ midweek news round-up!

How's your week going? Not too frantic we hope, just a nice chilled vibe to start the festive season.

It's been a dull, damp, overcast vibe, with a couple of brief sun spots.

Oh wow, when we were looking through the BBHQ Photo Archive, we found this snow scene from early December 2023 - yep, almost a white Catmas but not quite! MOL

A snowy outdoor scene at BBHQ flashing back to 2023. A traditional red British telephone booth stands on the left, partially covered in snow. In the background, a single-story brick building with a snow-covered roof and windows sits quietly. A leafless tree dusted with snow stands in the yard, with a bird perched on one of its branches. Two brown bins and a red door are visible near the building. Snow blankets the ground and surrounding vegetation, creating a peaceful winter atmosphere. Text at the bottom reads: "copyright www.bionicbasil.com

There's nothing like fresh snow... but then it needs to fluff right off for another year! MOL

Melvyn, a tabby cat, sits beside the BBHQ Catmas Tree, gazing up curiously at one of the white and gold ornaments. The tree is beautifully decorated with stars, baubles, bows, and beaded garlands, all illuminated by warm white lights. It stands in a woven basket-style base on a mat, positioned in front of glass doors that reveal a softly lit room beyond. The cozy indoor setting captures a peaceful and festive holiday moment. Text at the bottom reads: "copyright www.bionicbasil.com"

Melvyn had to inspect the BBHQ Catmas Tree, he said, "Yep, this'll do!"

Let's look at this week's news.
First up in the news

Three Cats in The BBHQ Garden


A serene garden scene featuring three cats from BBHQ. Fudge, the ginger cat, is partially visible behind some bushes. Parsley, the fluffy black cat, sits near a cluster of plants. Smooch, the white and black tripawed cat wearing a pink collar, faces Parsley while sitting on the ground. The garden is enclosed by a wooden fence and filled with fallen leaves, bare bushes, and small lanterns, suggesting an autumn setting. Text at the bottom reads: "copyright www.bionicbasil.com"

Smooch, Parsley and Fudge in the garden on pawtrol!
Next up in the news

Fudge in The Tree


Fudge, the ginger tabby cat with green eyes, stands confidently on a tree branch at BBHQ. He wears an orange collar with a small bell and gazes intently downward, as if observing something below. Behind him is a brick building with a window, and a treehouse or birdhouse mounted on the tree. The scene captures a bold and curious moment in a natural outdoor setting. Text at the bottom reads: "copyright www.bionicbasil.com"

Fudge was up his favourite tree in the courtyard, inspecting everything from height.

He said, "There are a lot of leaves on the ground!"

The P.A. replied, "Get the leaf blower then and clean them up!" 

MOL MOL MOL
      
In other news...

Pandora in The Catservatory


Pandora, a long-haired cat with a mix of brown, black, and orange fur, sits peacefully on a carpeted floor near a glass door. Sunlight streams through the glass, casting warm shadows across the carpet and highlighting the rich tones of her fur. She gazes outside, creating a tranquil and contemplative moment in a cozy indoor setting. Text at the bottom reads: "copyright www.bionicbasil.com"

Pandora found a weak sunpuddle in the catservatory a couple of weeks ago, it only lasted about five minutes before it started to rain! MOL

Finally this week

Melvyn's Modelling The Top Bandana Pick


As it's Catmas, obviously the Catmas Mice bandana is this week's top pick, and here's Melvyn doing his thing, most festively! MOL 

Melvyn, a tabby cat, sits proudly inside a festive red sleigh decorated with white and gold tinsel. He’s modelling a green Catmas Mice bandana adorned with cheerful holiday motifs like snowmen, presents, and trees. Behind him stands a decorated Christmas tree with ornaments, garlands, and twinkling lights. The cozy indoor setting features large windows revealing a garden view, adding to the seasonal charm. Text at the bottom reads: "copyright www.bionicbasil.com"

He did get distracted this week by a whole load of Kitty Kryptonite, but luckily, a smidge of a promise for more Kitty Kryptonite, and he got on his merry way.

Oh, and if mew forgot about the invisible monster behind the sofa, and Melvyn has NAMED him; it's all in the video! MOL

Check out his videos on your preferred social media platform:




The Midweek News Round Up Divider ©BionicBasil® Frost Garden Winter 24

That's us done for today, we'll be back tomorrow with a festive greeting, and Amber will be back on Friday with another meowvellous book, and if mew missed any other posts, here are the links:

 The B Team's Catmas Carol Ambush Squad Selfie

Amber's Latest Book Review

Wishing mew a furbulous day, and remember to always...
Stay Fluffy Banner ©BionicBasil® Frost Garden Winter 24

Wing Commander Basil & The B Team 













Don't furget to subscribe and never miss another post! 

Graphics created with paid licence www.canva.com 
Posted by at 8 comments:
Labels: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Monday, 22 December 2025

**CRAFTING WITH CATS RERUN**CATMAS SPECIAL** ~ HOW WE MADE OUR FURRY OWN EPICALLY EPIC CATMAS TREE SCRATCHER WITH VELCRO CATNIP ORNAMENTS

A festive promotional graphic titled "CATMAS SPECIAL: Crafting with Cats" features a white background filled with colorful Christmas-themed decorations and crafting supplies, including pinecones, ribbons, ornaments, candy canes, a snowman figure, a wreath, a red heart, a paint palette, and wrapped gifts. Multiple cat paws of various colors and patterns reach into the scene from different directions, playfully engaging with the materials. The border is decorated with multicolored stripes, enhancing the cheerful and whimsical holiday theme. Text reads: "CATMAS SPECIAL Crafting with Cats all paws on deck in the craft room ©BionicBasil®"

 Supurr Festive Greetings, Pawesome Pals

Welcome to another one of our Crafting with Cats Catmas Specials.  

If mew missed any of our previous CWC posts, stop by the Crafting with Cats Page and see all our previous projects, and mew don't have to be an expert in anything to make any of them. Plus, we offer workarounds and no-sew projects for those who don't like to sew.

*    *    *
**A quick note before we begin**

All Crafting with Cats ideas and creations are of our own design, and we share them for purrsonal/home use only.

  So purrlease do not copy for commercial/resale purrposes.

Copyright ©BionicBasil®

*     *     *

In today's Crafting with Cats, we're making the only Catmas tree mew'll ever need: 

A festive cat scratching post designed to resemble a Christmas tree, labeled "Catmas Tree Scratcher with Velcro Catnip Ornaments." The black, conical tree is decorated with colorful elements including red and green gift boxes, red mushrooms with white spots, and small red and green pom-poms. A white star tops the tree, and Velcro catnip ornaments are attached throughout. The base is covered in green faux grass, enhancing the tree-like appearance. The scratcher sits on a wooden table in a cozy room with bookshelves, chairs, and holiday decor. Text at the top reads: "www.bionicbasil.com.

Catmas Tree Scratcher with Velcro Catnip Ornaments

What We Used:

One x Road Cone 750mm or  29.5" high

Sisal rope ~ we used 60 m x 6mm or 196ft in black

Faux fur for the bottom ~ we used dark green

Felt squares ~ we used red, white and green

Velcro tape ~ we used black

Ribbons for trim

stuffing/wadding

Optional sparkly pom poms

Catnip ~ organic homegrown extra-strong primo quality

scissors, non-toxic glue/glue gun, cotton thread, sewing machine, or needle

>^.^<

Optional Cat ~ Smooch was today's Craft Room Snoopervisor

Smooch, a white cat with black markings on his head, stands alert on a wooden surface in a colourful craft room. He wears a red collar with a small silver bell, embodying his role as the "craft room snoopervisor." Behind him are shelves filled with vibrant markers, containers, and decorations, creating a lively and creative atmosphere. On the table near Smooch are various objects including a red and white box with black Velcro . Text in the bottom right corner reads: "www.bionicbasil.com.


Let's Get Started on The Tree

A collage of four step-by-step photos showing the transformation of an orange road cone into a wrapped decorative item. 1. A standard orange traffic cone with a reflective white band sits on a wooden table in a cozy room. 2. The top of the cone is partially wrapped in black sisal rope, covering the reflective band. 3. More of the cone is wrapped in black rope, extending further down. 4. The cone is now fully wrapped in black sisal rope, giving it a sleek, textured appearance. Text overlay explains that the cone was purchased from Amazon, placed on a lazy-susan turntable for easier gluing, and wrapped gradually using approximately 60 metres (196 ft) of rope. The final few metres are left unwrapped until steps 5 to 11 are completed at www.bionicbasil.com

1. - 4. Get a road cone. We purchased ours from Amazon. We placed it on a lazy-susan turntable, which made it much easier to glue the sisal rope in place. Just glue a few centimetres/inches at a time until the entire cone is covered as above. This cone is 750 mm or 29.5" high and took approx 60 metres or 196 ft of rope. It did take a while to glue, as mew can imagine, but it looks purretty nifty when done. Leave the last couple of metres/6ft or so until mew have finished steps 5 to 11.

A collage of four step-by-step photos labeled 5 to 8 showing the process of preparing faux fur for a DIY cat scratching post. 5. A green faux fur fabric is laid beneath the base of the cone-shaped post, ready to be cut to size. 6. A measuring tape is wrapped around the base of the cone, showing a circumference of approximately 90 cm (35.4"). 7. A circle is drawn in the center of the faux fur fabric, matching the measured size. 8. The circle has been cut out, creating a hole in the middle of the fabric, ready to fit around the post. These steps illustrate how to customize the base covering for a festive cat scratching post project. At www.bionicbasil.com

5. Take your faux fur and cut to size, leaving enough to finish underneath.

6. Measure the circumference at the base of the cone; ours is approx 90 cm or 35.4".

7.  Draw the same-sized circle in the middle of the faux fur.

8. Cut out the hole, and mew should have something that looks like this.

A collage of four step-by-step photos labeled 9 to 12 showing the final stages of assembling a Catmas Tree Scratcher. 9. The cone-shaped post is placed on green faux fur fabric, with the edges tucked under the rope to check fit. 10. The base of the cone is coated in a thick layer of non-toxic PVA glue. 11. The faux fur is positioned and gently pressed onto the glue; edges are later glued underneath, and the final section of sisal rope is secured to both the faux fur and the rope above. 12. The completed Catmas Tree Scratcher stands upright on its green faux fur base, displayed on a wooden table in a cozy room. These steps complete the festive DIY scratching post project. At www.bionicbasil.com

9. Check that it fits properly, tucking it under the rope.

10. We used regular non-toxic PVA glue for this stage and coated the entire base in a thick layer.

11. Place the faux fur in situ and gently press onto the glue. Leave to dry and then glue the edges to the underside to finish. Finally, glue the last part of the sisal rope to finish off. We stuck ours to the faux fur and the rope above to make sure it was secure.

12. Mew should now have a finished Catmas Tree Scratcher that looks something like this.

Let's Decorate The Tree

The Catnip Star Tree Topper

A four-panel collage showing the step-by-step creation of a Catnip Star Tree Topper. 1. A star-shaped cardboard template with a longer bottom point lies on a wooden surface. 2. Two matching star-shaped pieces of white fabric and a piece of stuffing material are prepared for assembly. 3. A pile of dried herbs, likely BBHQ’s epically epic catnip, is ready for filling. 4. The completed star-shaped item is sewn shut and filled, displayed on the wooden surface as a festive cat toy or tree topper. These steps illustrate a fun and crafty way to make a catnip-filled decoration for a Catmas Tree. At www.bionicbasil.com

1. We created a simple 4-point design with a longer point at the bottom, so it can be stuffed into the top of the tree, but still easily pulled out.

2. Cut 2 pieces in your chosen fabric and stitch around the edge, leaving a small gap for stuffing and catnip.

3. BBHQ epically epic catnip.

4. Sew up the gap, and mew should have something that looks like this.

Pandora, a fluffy torti cat, stands on her hind legs with front paws reaching up to a tall, cone-shaped Catmas Tree Scratcher. The tree is wrapped in black sisal rope with a green faux fur base and a white tip at the top. The scene is set indoors, with a red door, flower arrangement, and cozy household items in the background. Text at the bottom reads: "www.bionicbasil.com"

Pandora came to snoopervise at this point and to also do a bit of quality control! MOL

*    *    *

 The Velcro Catnip Ornaments 

A four-panel collage showing the step-by-step creation of Velcro Catnip Ornaments for a festive Catmas Tree. 1. Various fabric pieces in red, white, and brown are cut into shapes including a square present, a bauble, and a bell, laid out on a wooden surface. 2. A white ghost-shaped ornament has a black patch (soft side of Velcro) glued to its back. 3. The ornament is decorated with white mesh strips resembling ribbon or tails, following the Catmas Star stitching method. 4. A completed red ornament with white spots is attached to a textured vertical surface, likely the Catmas Tree Scratcher, using Velcro. These steps show how to make and attach festive catnip-filled decorations to a scratchable holiday tree. At www.bionicbasil.com

1. We chose a basic square for a pressie, a shaped bauble and a bell for our catnip ornaments, but mew could make anything mew like.

2. Hot glue the soft side of the velcro to the back of each toy 

3.  Decorate with ribbon. Stitch together and follow the steps for the Catmas Star.

4. Hot glue the rough/scratchy side of the velcro to the tree, attach the toy and repeat until mew have made all your catnip decorations. 

And mew should have something that looks like this...

Isn't it epically epic?

The handcrafted Catmas Tree Scratcher stands on a wooden table in a cosy indoor setting. The cone-shaped tree is wrapped in dark textured material with a green faux grass base and topped with a white fabric star. It is decorated with small gift box ornaments, red and baubles, and sparkly red and green pom-poms attached using Velcro. The tree appears sturdy and well-balanced, surrounded by festive decor and household items. Text at the bottom reads: "www.bionicbasil.com"

We added a few red and green sparkly pom-poms, glued velcro on to those too and attached to the tree.

It's supurr sturdy too, so don't worry about it toppling over, as it has a nice weight to it.


So what did we think to our special Catmas Tree? 

Ginger cat Fudge stands on his hind legs, reaching up to touch a star-shaped ornament atop a festive Catmas Tree Scratcher. The tree is cone-shaped, wrapped in black rope, and decorated with gift boxes, stockings, and pom-poms, all set on a green faux grass base. Behind the tree, black cat Parsley is partially visible, observing the scene. The setting is indoors, in front of large glass doors with a view of a gravel-covered outdoor area. Text at the bottom reads: "www.bionicbasil.com"

Fudge went straight for the star, Parsley and Melvyn also really enjoyed it.

A four-panel collage showing cats and a rabbit interacting with a festive Catmas Tree Scratcher. The tree is cone-shaped, wrapped in black rope, and decorated with ornaments including gift boxes, pom-poms, and a white star topper. In various panels, Melvyn (tabby), Fudge (ginger), and Parsley (black) are seen exploring or playing near the tree. The background features large glass doors with a view of a gravel-covered outdoor area. The website "www.bionicbasil.com" is visible in one panel

Stop by our Instagram account as we'll be posting the video's there and mew can see just how much we love our tree and what fun we're having with it.

In all honesty, this project turned out so much better than we could have ever imagined and for all those kitties being yelled at for climbing real Catmas trees, get your staff to make mew one of these, and mew can pull the ornaments off to your heart's content, climb it, scratch it, steal the star and generally be as naughty as mew like and it doesn't matter a hoot!

We think it's one of the best things we've ever made, what do mew guys think?


Health and Safety

Here at BBHQ, toys with pom poms on are only available to The B Team when the P.A. is snoopervising the play session.

Use pom pom toys under supervision only.  

Or mew can just make the Catmas Tree Scratcher without the pom poms.  If your kitty is a total heathen toy destroyer, definitely make it without the pom poms! 

Mew should regularly check shop-bought toys and discard anything that is damaged, broken, or defective.


And that furiends furry sadly brings us to the end of our second Catmas Crafting with Cats post, we do hope mew liked it, and if mew decide to make your furry own Catmas Tree Scratcher, we'd love to see, so feel free to tag us on social media @BionicBasil - Instagram & Twitter or @BionicBasilCats on TikTok.

So we'll sign off on this bright and breezy Monday and look forward to your company on Wednesday's Midweek News.

In the meantime

Keep calm and have a niptini, well, it is almost Catmas! MOL

Festive purrs

Wing Commander Basil & The B Team







Don't furget to subscribe to our blog and never miss another post. 

Disclaimer:
We at BionicBasil HQ are not responsible or liable for any injuries to person/s and/or cat/s, crafting addictions, glue on cats, paper cuts, misplaced pins and needles, cats stealing your supplies, broken scissors, cat fur stuck on your projects, or your project not turning out as planned.  By using this information, you hereby agree to indemnify and hold harmless BionicBasil and staff from and against any and all claims for personal injuries or damages of any kind arising from use of any Crafting With Cats posts we may share.

Graphics created with paid licence www.canva.com 

Posted by at 10 comments:
Labels: , , , , , , , , , , ,
Subscribe to: Comments (Atom)