YAPPING CAT STUDIO

If only you knew...

Everyone always says, "Oh, you're so talented.  You paint all this cool stuff.  Your house must be so pretty."  Yeah...they think I have lots of pretty displays like above.  And why not?  That's what I do where I work.  Make pretty displays. 

But in reality...

 
Yeah.  There is the ugly truth shot.  Yep...a decorator's dream...my house.  LOL. 

OK, mostly it is because I'm getting ready for a show.  But I do have peeps coming over for lunch tomorrow, so at some point and time I must make some sort of space for us to be able to eat at.  Clear off a table or something.  We shall see. 

I've added new stuff to my etsy.  And lots of new things will be added to my Glitter and Grunge on the 1st.  And what can I say?  My things on Etsy are cheap.  So, in addition to being trashy (ok, not really trashy as in trash, but just stuff everywhere trashy).  I'm cheap.  Trashy and cheap.  What a title.

Thanks for letting me share the ugly truth. 

And Happy Thanksgiving wishes to all!  Thanks for stopping by.

Autumn Gathering Home Party

***EDITED to say....Oops!  Is my face red!  This was posted, via automatic post, on Sunday.  Since I was out of town over the weekend, I was not aware that Artsy Mama had changed the date!  Oopsie.  Oh well, such is life.  LOL.  Enjoy the decor anyway.  : D
 

Artsy Mama is hosting another party today.  Inspired by all the wonderful Fall mags (and I love em too!) she decided it would be fun to do an Autumn Gathering Home party. 

So, here's a cup of Hot Apple Cider Tea and I'll show you what I've got ready for the party.

I thought I would do a little crafting for my autumn decor.  So I started with an ordinary tray...similar to this one, but not this one.  Cause this is one of my old favorites.

Add a few coats of Chalkboard Spray paint and Viola! Instant fun chalkboard.  You can do any size (as in above pic).

While I had the old spray can out...I hit these old pumpkin buckets with a couple of coats of gold metallic.  I loved the gilded effect in the Country Living mag, but did not want to get that detailed.

So here is the finished result.  A lovely fun display for the autumn months.  The chalkboard tray would also be fun to count down the days to Halloween.  Also wanted Bittersweet to tuck into the gold pumpkin, but none available yet. 

Here's a little close-up on the tray.

And a little close-up of my jack-o-lantern bowl.  He was a fun piece to paint. 

Course had to add the old Trick or Treat saying...

yep, smell MY feet...lol

That'll work, specially if it is chocolate.  LOL.  Pumpkin head bowl is for sale in my Etsy shop (see Shop Yapping Cat button to the left).  As is the chalkboard tray.

Hope you enjoyed my wee bit of fall fun in my home.  Well, let's finish off that candy corn before you head to the next party house.  Thanks for coming by.

Summer time living...easy?

I thought it was supposed to be!  The song says so. 

Well, this weeks seems to be at a run.  Which is frustrating, so I'm trying to catch bits of studio fun when and where I can.  What I really want to do is to lock myself in, with the AC wonderfulness, a cup of White Chocolate latte and create like crazy, but not this week.  Not this week.

Here's a tiny little sneakie peekie at one of the things that I am working on for Andrea.  I run so behind in my swaps.  It's a wonder anyone will swap with me.   But I thank you for doing so anyway, cause I always try and send good things back.  Anyway, I am enjoying playing with the cowgirl theme and hope to be able to get this all out to her by Friday.  That's the goal anyway. 

I often wish I had two desks in the studio.  One for paper projects and one for painting projects.  While this is not a new design, I'm thinking of painting a few more like it for the booth and maybe Etsy. It's a piece I did for Enchanted Cottage a few years ago, but I think it is still pretty today. 

I love sparkly.  Karen's blog banner cracks me up.  (Go check her out!) And I love crowns.  My avatar wears one.  I would too if they would not stare at me in the grocery store.  Perhaps when I'm old.  Like the Red Hat ladies.  I will be an Old Crown Lady.  LOL.  Sorry, I digress. 

Little crown buttons.  Sweet.

Sparkle, sparkle.  And another little crown.  All on muted shades of pink and brown and cream.

   

Actually got to sit a minute yesterday to discuss with Sis and Brooke our creation ideas for the Mad Hatter Tea Party at Vanessa's.  Brooke already has a wonderful idea and there is a little sneak peek on her blog.  Yes, I'm envious.  Clever girl. 

Well, lots to do and little time to do it in. 

Happy Wednesday. 

Paper, Felt or Paint?

As in Paper Hat, Felt Hat or Paint Hat.  These seems to be the hats that I'm tossing on and off this week.  Running from one medium to the next in an effort to get lots of things done at once.  Got some painting done the past few days. 

I'm in a "nest" mode.  Always. 

Got some cool buckets over at my favorite hobby store.  The one that has a lobby.  And I love the way these buckets turned out.  If I do say so myself. 

The afore mentioned store,  had some cool shapes and I loved the color.  Here's how they look in the newly "fluffed" booth. 

Nice and summery I guess.

I did several small 5x5 canvases which were so much fun to do.  I left some "clean" and scuffed up one with some ink.  I rather liked the scuffy one better.  But that's me. 

I think the bucket color mixes well with anything.  Browns or black or cream.  But it always makes me nervous painting on tin....the whole "stickability" issue.  I sanded em lightly and covered with a polyurethane...but still...ewwwwwww.

I like the way everything came together.  All the sweet colors. 

But then we go to:

Brights!  And since I'm also in a fun and funky mood, I decided to have fun with these little frames and do em like leopard print, only really really bright.  I thought they turned out, well funky. 

And wouldn't you know it.  I decide to go really fun and put a zebra heart on this on.  A gal had it in her hand, but then set it back down.  I teased her about not buying it.  Cause it's cheap.  And hand-painted.  LOL.  She said she loved it, except it had a zebra heart on it.  LOL.  Now that's my luck.  I'll have to do some without.

And wanted one little area to look like a little bakery.  With cake stands and my cupcake canvases.  It's OK, but still needs more stuff in it.  I will have to head back to the "lobby" store, to see what other kinds of goodies I can find to embellish. 

And, last but not least...here's the studio after the painting session.  Trashed.  And only with a 2" space to work in.  But as my talented and lovely, friend (and co-worker) Ruthe says, because we were discussing the status of trashed studios and creativity, "Artistic Miracles occur in Two Inch Spaces".  I couldn't agree more my dear friend.  Couldn't agree more.

**Edited to add:  Since I've put all of this stuff in the booth, I won't be running any of it on Etsy.  But if you are interested, shoot me an email.  Hey, its cheap.  And it's hand-painted.  LOL.  

Its the Christmas Craft Fair!

Phyllis  at Shabby in the City blogspot is hosting a Christmas Fair.  How sweet of her to do!  So, I've got some snacks and some drinks here, get comfy on the couch and let me show you some cute things!  Are ya ready? (Click on any photo to enlarge).

If there is something you see that you would like to purchase, send me an email saying that you want that.  First come, first serve, as some quantities are limited. 

This 10x12 painted canvas is so sweet, it will make your teeth hurt.  Each cupcake is glittered and it is done in shades of pink, reds, turqs and lime greens.  A must for a sweet kitchen or a little girls room.  Only $22.95 plus shipping. SOLD! 

This hand painted frame done in "Rooster Red" measures 8x8 with a 3.5 x 3.5 opening.  The writing reads, "At Christmas play & make cheer, for Christmas comes but once a year".  Paper in frame may vary.  $9.95 plus shipping.

Other frame colors are available, as are other sayings, such as, "We remember moments, not days" and "To know life is to love many things" and more.  Drop me an email and I can tell you more.

This sweet little sign says it all.  "Ho, Ho, Ho!"  All in sherberty shades of turq, pinks, reds and lime greens, it's really fun.  Tied with a gingham hanger and it's got lots of glitter to boot.  It is $23.95 plus shipping.

Yes, I can't seem to get past these colors!  This little spiral album measures about 5.5 x 4.5 and is perfect for gift giving.  Cavity inducing sweetness includes Brenda Walton paper, Anna Griffin paper and Martha Stewart ribbons.  Twelve delicious spaces to add your own photos and fun.  Four tags.  Cost is $28.95 plus shipping and I only have ONE of these.  Once it goes, its gone. 

Here's the pages:

I have other book themes available or would love to do a custom order.  Drop me an email if interested.

Next up are sherberty colored tags!  An assortment of six (I get to pick) for $6.00 plus shipping.  They do vary but some embellishments include snowflakes and red stripped ribbon and glitter.  All sets sold, thanks guys!

Now onto darker things.  Oprah's Home Decor mag for this month says Black is the fresh, new color for Christmas.  So, if that's the case for you, you will love these wings.  cut out of old sheet music and stamped (and glittered) with the word JOY, these wings measure about 8" across and almost 1.5 in the center.  The back is inscribed with, "And the morning stars sang and the angels shouted for joy".  Job: 38-7.  Each one is $8.95 plus shipping.   

Also available, but not pictured, a black hand painted frame that measures 8x8 with a 3.5 x 3.5 opening.  The writing reads the same as above (on the back of the wings) and an old piece of sheet music is fitted into the opening.  $9.95 plus shipping. 

Well, that's the end of my Craft Fair.  I hope you enjoyed shopping.   While I'm not set up to do Pay Pal yet, I would be glad to take a personal check.  Money orders would insure faster shipping.  Drop me an email at [email protected] if any questions.

Thanks again for coming by and happy shopping to you!   

Thanks again for coming over.

My painted past....

OK, not really past.  More like present and mostly past.  More past than present?  Let's just say about ten years ago. 

Now, I like to think of myself as a "Jill of all trades".  I like to look for junk, I like to craft and I still love to paint, but only when I want too.  And not so much custom work, but I have been known and threatened to make do such a thing.  But yes, I do have a painted past.  A colorful painted past. 

Long before I ever put on my paper hat (as in the discovery of paper arts), I wore a painter hat.  In fact, that is where the name "Yapping Cat" comes from. 

I've always loved to craft, as most of us do.  Having been in the corporate world FOREVER, I decided to open a small booth space, as a creative outlet.  I started out painting flower pots.  My Sweet Hub suggested I take a few to some high end shops in Austin.  I did.  No one was more surprised than me when a shop bought 35.  35 flower pots.  From me.  I had thought maybe five, if I was lucky.  But 35, a bit scary.  Thus a small biz was born.  The Yapping Cat.

I began to paint flower pots and stumbled onto (no, not literally) painted glass.  I had seen a few booths at Dallas Market and thought, "hey I can do that too".  And I did.  Well, one shop soon became five and when I began to do sorority designs, then I expanded to selling to fifteen shops.  And it was fun. 

People loved the name.  Seems like everyone remembered it.  The only problem was some people thought I only sold cat products.  But people always asked about it and I figured that was a good thing.  The name started with our old tabby cat.  My husband began to call him the "yapping cat" because every time a can was opened the cat thought it was tuna.  For him.  Thus many, many, meows!  Yapping meows.  From a yapping cat.  I almost went with "Dancing Star" (Shakespeare), but since I had a cat, it seemed more apropos.  I began to paint lots of things and only sell wholesale.  But alas, evil carpel tunnel intervened.  Not being able to paint in volumn as I had I decided to go small again.  I scaled down and returned to my original roots of maintaining a booth in a mall.  I mixed in vintage goods and new stuff from Market.  It was fun.                                                          

I painted picnic baskets (or rather a basket) because they did not seem to sell so well.

Big people chairs (yep, that really is my front porch.  Really.  OK, from three years ago, but yes, really).

Little people chairs. 

See?  A little tiny hiney would fit nicely right there.  And I guess it did cause someone bought it. 

While scaling down on painting I decided to start scrap booking as "therapy".  (Yeah, therapy, snort!).  I scrap booked for a while and then just got out of everything for quite sometime as more health issues evolved.  But those were eventually resolved, but I stayed out of the craft biz and only painted for friends or myself on occassion.

A few years ago, I discovered Somerset magazine and found scrap book paper again, but in a different way.  And I still like to paint.  I've been doing a wee bit more painting lately and have really been playing with frames.  Here's a portion of one:

Little funky frames with fun writing.  And of course, I still sell them Here. In the Gift Shop.

More people have been asking for painted things lately and not really having an idea for a post today, well, there ya go.  A peek into my painted past.