YAPPING CAT STUDIO

Oh Bliss.....

It's back!  It's back!  It's back!

Doin' the usual "blog scannin" early on a Saturday morning (like I have nothing else to do).  I ran across several other blogs that mentioned that the magazine was back and then found this and it seems to confirm everything.  I do hope this is true.  Hello, my name is Cindy and I am a magazine addict.  BUT without a doubt this was the one that I looked forward to every month and would devour each time it arrived in the post box.  Although yes, MEHC is right up there with it (IMHO),  I was heart-broken when Hearst stopped publication of this beautiful mag that I loved so much.  Oh to find a pile in an antique mall was always a thrill and the August Entrepreneur issue.....just like Christmas to me.  So many things to love, the gorgeous photos, the pretty artwork, Favorite Finds, Calling Cards,  the Children's Corner....loved loved loved it all.  I could never understand the ceasing of this publication because so many friends loved the magazine as well, and I always heard mourning's of the loss of it.    What a wonderful news to start the weekend, hearing that an old friend will soon be back.  Hope your weekend is filled with joy too!

You won't find these at Hallmark...

Yesterday was one of those great days were I got to spend the whole day in the studio.  Love that.  We were in for big storms and such, so just decided to stay in and stay cozy.  Do you ever have that feeling where you have so many ideas and things you want to do, that it can feel a little overwhelming?  To me, it's a good and yet bad thing.  So hard to sometimes focus in on what I really want to do and then frustration kicks in.  And yet I'm glad that so many ideas spring to mind.  So I decided to make cards.  I always like to keep a stack on hand, cause I do love to send out my own things and (as my friend  Debbie and I like to joke) I save so much money by making my own cards!  Yeah, right.  I'm sure the $68.00 a month I spend on scrap supplies way overwhelms the $25.00 I spend every six months at Hallmark.  But hey, these are from scraps....LOL.  So, as storm clouds brewed yesterday I was cozy in the studio with cats, crafting cards.  Have ya been to Target lately?  So many cute cards there and many look very hand made, lots of paper and felt piecing.  Really cute.  Anyway, I hate spring in Texas.  Always that chance for tornadoes and all.  We go through this every March through May for sure and allot of the times into the summer months.  Makes me wish we had a storm cellar.  But that's Spring in Texas for ya!

a cute thing to play with

Danielle at the vintage dragonfly has a really wonderful group at yahoo groups which I am very proud to be a memeber of.  We are currently having an ATC lottery.  Everyone has a short period of time to create an atc according to the theme.  Everyone participating then sends a photo into the file of the atc they have created.  The previous winner picks a new winner, and that person gets all the atc's mailed to her and then she starts the process all over again.  The theme for this one is nursery rhymes.  Since I have my cat thing going on, it made since to pick one with a cat involed.  I happened to have some cool vintage London stickers and so I thought this would be a fun theme to play with.  Do your remember the old nursery rhyme?  "Pussy-cat, pussy-cat where have you been?  Ive been to London to see the Queen!  Pussy-cat, Pussy-cat what did you do there?  I frightened a little mouse under the chair!".  Was a fun thing to play with this morning and put me in the mood to try and catch up on my own 52 week challenge.  I am so dreadfully behind, as in I have not made one since the middle of February.  I guess i need to get busy if I indeed plan to continue and/or to catch up.  What have you been up to today? 

Under Construction...

I found this wonderful pattern in the Winter 2005 issue of Cloth, Paper, Scissors in an article by Susie Afond, called, "Meanderings, The Meander Book."  I was intrigued by the way the little book opened up and one followed the path of the photo's or design.  It reminded me of one of the board games as a kid, where you followed the path and did each thing as you went along.  When closed it's tiny, only about 2" x 2".  Which is a fun size to work in.  I'm still in the "tweaking" stage, but thought I would show what I've done so far.

I love the image of the nest, being the cozy retreat (plus I'm into "all things bird" right now), the home, the foundation.  This square was the first one I did and started the basis for the pattern of the whole book.  I loved the quote, "know the song in your heart and sing it".  And I think I probably picked it up from one of you gals, but for the life of me I can't remember who.  I started in blues and browns and then black really started showing up in large amounts, but that's ok. 

This is one side of the whole thing unfolded.  I LOVED the photo of the family (2nd block on left, top line).  Look at the men's faces (the one guy with his hand on his face) and see the little boy with his eyes totally covered?  I just loved that photo.  it made me wonder what was being said or done at the time the picture was being taken.  The photo of the little girl outside the screen door was so sweet.  These are all "adopted ancestors", not physically related.  Then of course, birds, ribbon, etc, etc, etc.  I did not realize that I had put the letter N on upside down until I scanned it.  Duh.  Still need to add some more things and finish the other side.  I have a little 2-1/2" x 2-1/2" box that the whole thing fits nicely into which I've painted a robins egg blue.  Have not decided yet how to embellish that.  I was thinking about doing one of these with real family photo's and memento's.  Would make a sweet Mother's Day gift or birthday gift. 

Had the best day out yesterday.  There is a little thing they do which used to be called, "Fifteen mile garage sale".  Now in an effort to be more classy it's called "Antique Alley".  It has grown tremendously over the past few years and some times it's great and sometimes it's not.  Yesterday, it was great.  Found so many fun things.  A small chest of drawers, a really cool mirror, a whimsical paper-mache' chicken (so cute) and lots of buttons, frames, doll parts and so much more.  Saw a few friends as we ambled along the way, even stole some of em's parking space (oops!).  The best part of the day is just spending time with my Dad and harassing each other about everything we buy.  I pretend to like what he purchases and he tells me all mine are awful or ugly.  He doesn't get the shabby, peely-paint thing.  He thinks everything should be sanded and re-painted.  But that's ok.  Viva la differance' as they say.  But I'm glad the "junkin' gene" is one of the things we have in common.  The other thing in common is our sense of humor.  We both spied this book at the same time:

Now, no offense to Jane Powell or to Linda Svendsen, but neither of us could think of why someone would want a book on linoleum.  But hey, again, to each his own.  I got tickled at the comment on the inside, "Yes, linoleum is back." - Kiplinger's personal finance.  Hmmmmmmm.  Hope Kiplinger's didn't bet a bundle on that...they shouted that exuberant statement in 2003.  I have'nt noticed it being back yet.  LOL.  So for a mere $1.00 this book will make a fantastic gag gift for my middle brother's Christmas present for next year.  Hee hee hee.  With love from me and Dad.  And heck, Dad even paid for it.  Defiantly the find of the day. 

Be it ever so humble

There's no space like the "studio" (AKA the guest bedroom.) I used to share a room with my DH and he said I was too messy (gasp! moi?) so I was evicted, er um...I moved out.  LOL.  So I took over the guest bedroom and I love my little space.  It has all the junk in it that I particularly love and there is usually a cat or two curled up on the bed.  It's cozy and it gets nice light.  While these are not the best pics in the world, I thought it would give you a little glimpse into my creative world.  This photo is actually the top of a huge set of stacking bins (3 rows with 4 bins each) that stores all of my paints.  (Sorry, I guess I should have done a wide shot).  Don't ya love the black tray with the blue birds?  My dear friend Sherri gave it to me last year for my b-day.    I love the jars of ribbon that add color and the little wire basket (just to the left) holds ATCs that I have either made or traded or bought off of ebay.  (I have a wire-basket "thing", I just love em.)

This photo shows directly across from the paint bins and is my desk.  I have a great old sturdy desk that I picked up,  at the antique mall where I used to work, for $35.00.  Ahhh, the good old days.  I painted it to match the room and I love it.  I have a (rather messy) bulletin board above that gets jammed with photo's and cards and things.  Assorted brushes.pens, glues, stamps (in a wire basket), inks, stickles, and such usually stay on top.  See the cool black and white photo just above the Crop-a-dile handle?  That's my Mom.  She's so pretty.  I love this old photo of her.  There are old shutters on either side of the window and on the one nearest the desk, I have a tendency to hang assorted artwork and such.  (Again, sorry no bigger shot).

This is my Butterbean girl (Beanie for short), one of my furry babies.  She is a sweetheart and the studio is her favorite place to hang out, especially if I am in the room working.  There is a very nice window and I have placed a small bird feeder outside and her biggest thrill is when the little birds are bouncing around on the sidewalk looking for seeds.  The window is really low to the floor, just perfect for her to be able to scrunch down and glare glare glare at those sweet little birds.  Good thing she can't get outside.  But the squirrel is her mortal enemy.  She really chatters when he comes into view. 

This is the space next to the bed.  I love those old shutters and chandi (both also great finds from the previously mentioned employment at the antique mall.).  Had to do some re-wiring on the chandi (Thanks Pop!) and some cleaning, but all the crystals were there and it is really pretty when it is lit up.  I can't decide if I need to put shades on it or not.  I love cottage style and I love color.  I wanted to go a little darker when I re-did the room.  I wanted it to look "Italian rustic" and the wall paint job is pretty funky.  It's supposed to be layered and look like years of old stucco (theres another name for it but it evades me at the moment).  A "non-art" friend asked me if I could not decide on the paint color, was that the reason there were some many shades in the room.  Love her, but had to laugh.  It should be softened more at the top, but that's a task for later.  What you can't see are all the cool glow-in-the-dark stars on the ceiling.  When my nieces where young they would spend time with us in the summers.  The room was then done in the style of the "Secret Garden", ie:  bed frame that looked like a garden gate and flowers and butterflies on the walls.  Stars on the ceiling for night.  They loved that book and seems like we read it over and over and over.  You can just see a wee bit of my other fuzzie baby, that would be Pea (aka Pea Pod).  He's my boy kitty.  A very mellow fellow indeed.  He a Miss Beanie are litter-mates and are about seven years old now. 

Here's my Pea.  Sleeping on a rather messy bed.  You can really see the wall color allot better here.  I started at the bottom of each wall and troweled the whole thing on, graduating the color from dark to light as I went up the wall.  I was pretty happy with the way it turned out, with the exception of some of the white areas at top that still need a bit more work.  I had some really neat kinda sconce-y things on either side of the mirror that had little potted plants on them, but Mom liked them, so I gave them to her.  I need to find something else to go on either side of that mirror.  I have some pretty plates, brown transferware, that might just be the thing.  I love the colors in the room.  That's Ralph Lauren fabric on the pillow sham.  (All I could afford - LOL.)  El cheapo bed-spread (at the grocery store no less for $11.00, that just cracked me up) but the cats tend to get everything pretty hairy, so cheaper is sometimes better...pillow on the floor  (which should be on the bed) is Rachel Ashwell Target.  You can't see the really huge bookcase just to the right or the giant-mongus stack of Victoria mags right next too it.  Now we are back where we started at the paint bin.  Well, for now that is the end of our little tour.  I hope you have enjoyed it. 

So sad

So saddened by the senseless tragedy of yesterday.  My heart, thoughts and prayers go out to all at Virginia Tech. 

Runnin from bees and limitations

(Finally!  A BIG pic...thank you Karin).  Saturday, I had a group of lovely gal pals over that morning for BS (that's Bible Study) and over the course of the discussion, someone mentioned the phrase, "knowing your limitations".  Hmmmmmm, seems like I have heard this phrase alot lately among my age set.  Almost as much as I hear the phrase, "random" from my nieces and nephews.  This all started a few months back.  My bff Sherri and my funny friend Debbie and I all decided to take our "inner artists" out for the day.  (As you know, if you have read Julia Cameron's book, The Artist's Way, you need to take yourself on an artist date at least once a week).  Sounds good to me, a ready-made excuse to go junkin and eat out.  So, the three of us head north to a great little town with tons of sweet shops and restaurants to spend the day looking for goods and "inspiration".  (The photo above shows some of the things I found that day). 

It was a warm, beautiful December day.  As we are strolling along the sidewalk, a bee begins to bother Sherri.  She swats at it.  Then she tries to stomp it, which just clearly pisses the bee off totally and it decides to take it's anger out on ME.  OK, as previously noted, I hate bees and am quite scared of them.  I decide to jog up a few steps to 1.  get away from it and 2.  let it sting Sherri instead of me.  As I am prancing away, I trip over a cobblestone or brick, something jutting out of the sidewalk  I fly forwards and fall spectacularly on the sidewalk.  Bless my friends, they didn't laugh, (not at that moment anyway).  As I lie there in pain and embarrassment, thinking I had broken at the least my arm and maybe a few ribs, I happen to notice an elderly gentleman peering down at me.  He asks me if I am OK.  I tell him yes, I just needed to continue to stay on the ground for a few moments until I could get my bearings.  He continues to look down at me as slow grin breaks across his face and he says, "honey, you need to know your limitations".  Oh my gosh, how funny is that?  An elderly gentleman telling me, a young (well, not so young) whipper snapper that I needed to know MY limitations.  I don't know whether to laugh or cry or both.  As they help me to my feet and I assure all that I am OK, just a little scraped and red-faced, I keep thinking about that.  Knowing my limitations.  Hmmm, what limitations?  That I can't walk down a sidewalk without falling over?  My limitations.  My limitations.  So when it was said again on Saturday I decided to look it up in the dictionary.  "Limitations -   a limitating condition; restrictive weakness; lack of capacity:  to know one's limitations."  Oh good grief!  It actually said that in the dictionary.  Is someone trying to tell me something here?  Yikes.  Did I have a point?  Yeah, but can't remember what it was now.  LOL.   I guess the moral of the story is don't run from bees (or that is what my husband always tells me).  So for me, knowing my limitations, as Martha says, it's a good thing.  Whatever they may be (other than my ability to walk without tripping), to recognize them, is perhaps the first step in growing out of them or replacing them with something better.  Knowing my limitations - good, accepting my limitations - bad.  And just remember, don't run from bees.  No matter how random.

(This is one of the inside pages of the Merry Children Story Book.  I just love the pen and ink drawings inside.  I found lovely old rayon ribbon in the most wonderful colors, a cute little tag that says "Inspire", a beautiful old fruit advertisement and a neat old sketch/photo of a woman called "dream of life".   Don't you love the look on hr face and how her hands are crossed so demurely?  Even with all the mishaps, we had a great day that day and found lots of wonderful things.)  My outer artist is always so good to my inner one.  LOL.

A few more pics....

of the little diaries.  I could not gt them to work earlier, but here they are:

 

Here's the first one that I did.  I like it the least.  LOL.  I think I made the background too busy and poor little birdie....on itsy legs like those he would'nt get to far...LOL.   My scan is not good, but I put little glitter spots on the center of each flower (love love love Stickles).  Anyway, it' ok.  I usally either really really love the first thing I make (of a particular project) or it's just alright. 

 

I did the blue one second (love the colors on that one) and this little purple and orange one last.  Finally got the design the way I liked it.  A little contrast with the black, no skinny bitsy legs, just shhhhh on the front and liked the contrast between the orange and the purple and black and then you open it up to see the inside like this:

I like the "secrets inside" better on the inside cover (I dunno why, but I do) and then the little bird motif repeat and the wording of "journal of" on the first page.  I did a bit of doodling around the base of the bird, but after the icky-ness (yes, that's the professional art term, LOL) of the first cover, decided I would stay simpe, rather than so busy.  So, there ya go.  All stashed in my "Birthday Drawer" ready for when I need a little prezzie handy.

So Many Things to Love

About  Dollar Tree.   Don't ya love em?  Seems like I can usually find something there that can be "tweaked" and then I can either sell it or give it as a gift.  Next to 'tique malls, thrift, and garage sale, DT is one of my favorite haunts when I'm on the scrounge for things.  Look at this:

Isn't this cute?  Last year, I had taken a scrapping class and as a gift they had given each student one of these little diaries.  The teacher had stamped the front with our initials and a scrolly design.  She mentioned after class that she had gotten them at DT, well I rushed right over and found 'em (oh crap...LOL, almsot wrote..for a dollar) and just stashed em back for whatever came up.  Since I'm on a big "crafting" roll right now, thought I would dig em out and see what I could do.  I thought what the teacher did was cute, but I wanted to go a little more indepth.  The binding is a nice fabric binding.  So I just covered the brown original cover and wrapped it to the inside.  It was a little hard to adjust around the locks and all, but not terrible to do. 

So here's the after:

I wanted to design something with the "tween/pre-tween" set in mind.  Kept thinking about a "little birdie told me", so I decided to just cut out a free-hand little birdie from a coordinating paper.  Once I glued it down, then I just drew a simple design aournd it and added the flower and brackets and stamped the word "SHHHH" at the top.  It took me doing three (LOL) different journals to finally get the design that I really wanted.  With just "SHHHH" at the top and then "secret's inside" on the inner cover and then another little birdie and "journal of" on the first page.  All in all not too bad and the part that took the longest was just cutting all the paper.  Would be fun to add one of those pens that has the fuzzy fur at the top.  (Target will sometimes have those four for a buck.)   I think this makes a cute gift.   DT will also sometimes have some cute gift bags as well.  Or just put a little shred in the bottom of a cello bag, add that fuzzy topped pen and maybe a candy necklace or the big candy ring (love those!) and tie it all off with a cute tag and bright ribbon and makes a great party favor for under $5.00.  That's why I love the DT.  Just depends on what you can find and where your imagination takes ya.

The grass is always greener...

and today...a little bit chillier.  A nippy, windy 45 degree day in the great state of Texas.  Where is spring I ask ya?  Oh well, better than 102 degrees, which I am sure will be here sooner than I want. 

This "little" pic (hee hee still can't figure out how to make them bigger even though Karin was kind enough to try and help me.  I'm so right-brained, the computer thing is just such a hurdle for me, but I will keep trying. ) is part of a series of ATC's that my niece and I started doing last summer.  We challenged ourselves to do one a week, hence the 52 week challenge.  Ha!  I think I quit about week # 29.  Gurlfren dropped out sooner than that.  But to her defense, she does have school and all. So she is forgiven.  I hate bees.  Scared to death of em, but yet they seem to find their way into lots of my artwork and such.   Does that ever happen to you?   Something you dislike shows up all the time in your artwork?  Why is the grass always greener?  Because I really love everyone else's artwork that is so textured and messy and stamped and sanded and such.  Hmmm, artwork-envy?  Mine just seems to stay so clean and formal (boring I say) but must continue to work on that as well as the computer thingy.  I once had a  wonderful art teacher who used to tell us that when the finished artwork perfectly matched what you saw in your mind's eye, that you had reached perfection as an artist.  LOL.  Don't know to this day if he was teasing or not, but was an interesting concept. 

Well, when Spring finally comes to your neck of the woods, this is a great salad to try.  I picked up one of those little cookery cards at the Wally and this has become one of our favorites.  Great with anything off the grill (in our humble opinion).

  Spring Salad:

1 bunch leaf lettuce, washed

1 crisp apple, peeled, cored, and diced

1/4 cup fresh basil leaves

1 tsp. chopped fresh mint leaves

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 - 3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

2 Tbsp chopped pecans, toasted

Prep time:  25 minutes

Tear lettuce leaves into bite-sized pieces.  Toss lettuce, apple, basil, and mint together in salad bowl.  Drizzle olive oil over mixture.   Add half the lemon juice.  Toss lightly.   Add salt and pepper to taste.  Add more lemon juice, if necessary.  Garnish with pecans.  Serves 4.

Per Serv:  185 cal, 17 g fat, 2 gram fiber, 1 gram protein

Here's hoping Spring is just around the corner for ya.