Buttonwillow's Secret Identity....REVEALED!

Happy Halloween from Susan Faye World Headquarters!

You may have already noticed that my studio assistant Buttonwillow has her own built-in Halloween costume that she enjoys wearing year-round-- a velvety black mask and cape, just like those of her hero, Zorro. This gives us one clue to her secret identity, which will be revealed for the very first time to all on this scariest day of the year.

Another clue is her tail. Upon a casual inspection, you will notice that it looks oddly like an exploding paintbrush-- quite appropriate for an art studio assistant. But upon closer scrutiny, you will discover that the very end of her tail forms the shape of a "Z". It really does! She was born with a fancy kink in the end of her tail with two sharp bends that actually form a Z. This makes her tail shorter than average and creates that distinctive "pouf" at the end. It is reminiscent of Wile E. Coyote's tail just after the TNT explodes, don't you think?




The last clue is her panther-like razor-sharp claws that strike fear in the hearts of table legs, catnip toys and house plants everywhere.




By now you have probably put together the clues to guess her secret identity. Yes, in the dark of night, when you least expect it, Buttonwillow becomes her legendary alter-ego:

Zee Midnight Slasher.

Beware the mark of Zee Midnight Slasher. Should you find an artfully slashed "Z" in your sofa, your wooden wall paneling, or your leg, then you know she has been afoot, avenging the plight of small fluffy bicolor kitties everywhere, whose owners ignore their plaintive pleas for more tasty cat treats from the pantry.



You have been warned. Muah-ha-ha...

Happy Halloween!

Adopta Guadalajara...Spotlight on International Cat Ladies

Meet Gato Lady and Perro Lover Diana, pictured here with her daughter and their friends Hoppy, Luna, and poodle Trufa . Diana is part of a wonderful information network and website in Mexico called Adopta Guadalajara, providing valuable information on cat and dog adoption, prevention of pet overpopulation and animal abuse, and responsible pet ownership.

Diana says, "Most of all, we promote spaying and neutering of cats and dogs, no matter if they are males or females. In Mexico this is not so common as we wish it was. We also want people to be responsible owners and to adopt instead of buying animals."

Their facebook page is ADOPTAGDL with over 65 000 fans, and they also have a radio program that can be heard through internet.

Keep up the good work, Diana and Adopta Guadalajara! Muchas Gracias!

Thanks for visiting!!

Today's Featured Cat Lady ACEO... Cat Mom No. 9

Cat Mom No 9 was first featured on 365 Cat Ladies on February 24, 2009. She introduced us to Spay Day, an annual campaign of The Humane Society of the United States and Humane Society International to inspire people to save animal lives by spaying or neutering pets and feral cats.

Spay Day takes place on the last Tuesday of February each year, however, Cat Mom No. 9 encourages you to make EVERY day "Spay Day."

Four million cats and dogs—about one every eight seconds—are euthanized in U.S. shelters each year. Spaying or neutering is the only permanent, 100-percent effective method of birth control for dogs and cats and a proven way to reduce the vast numbers of animals who are born each year, only to die prematurely and without a family who loves them. Learn more here: Pet Overpopulation and what you can do.

Thanks for visiting!

My original ACEO art of Cat Mom No. 9 (pictured above) is now available for purchase in my Etsy shop! This mini watercolor painting is in ACEO (Art Card Editions and Originals) format, which means that the artwork size is 2.5" x 3.5", the same as a baseball card.

It is hand-painted on super-heavy Arches 300-lb. acid-free cold-press watercolor paper with professional quality watercolor paints. Click here for more details.

A Black Cat By Any Other Name... Today's Featured ACEO Cat Lady

According to a Very Scientific Poll that I recently conducted on Facebook, the most popular names for a black cat are: Midnight, Shadow, and Licorice, with Shadow being the all-time-most-votes-classic-favorite!

Other outstanding names were: Boo, Jynx, Cinders, Inky, Sputnik, Raven, Dark Knight, Tabou, and my personal favorite, Moonshadow!

My ACEO artwork of Cat Lover No.83 (pictured here) was first featured on 365 Cat Ladies on December, 2009, expressing her opinion that black cats are lucky. Are you lucky enough to have a beautiful black cat in your life? If so, let us know what his/her name is in the comments section of this post!

Thanks for visiting!

My original ACEO art of Cat Lover No. 83 (pictured here) is now available in my Etsy shop. This mini watercolor painting is in ACEO (Art Card Editions and Originals) format, which means that the artwork size is 2.5" x 3.5", the same as a baseball card.

It is hand-painted on super-heavy Arches 300-lb. acid-free cold-press watercolor paper with professional quality watercolor paints. Click here for more details.

Garden Cat Lady No. 5... Cats Who Chomp Greenery

Garden Cat Lady No.5 was first featured on 365 Cat Ladies on June 30, 2009 . She warned us to be aware of plants that are toxic to cats, both inside and outside in the garden.

Does your own furry friend like to chew, chomp, or eviscerate plant matter?

The ASPCA website has a very useful list of plants that don't mix with cats, many with photos to help with identification. There are also descriptions and symptoms, plus a 24-hour hotline-- this is a great website to bookmark: Plants That Are Toxic To Cats

Happy (and safe) Gardening!

My original ACEO art of Garden Cat No. 5 is now available in my Etsy shop. This mini watercolor painting is in ACEO (Art Card Editions and Originals) format, which means that the artwork size is 2.5" x 3.5", the same as a baseball card.

It is hand-painted on super-heavy Arches 300-lb. acid-free cold-press watercolor paper with professional quality watercolor paints. Click here for more details.

Today's Featured Cat Lady ACEO... Cat Lover No. 33

Cat Lady No 33 was first featured on 365 Cat Ladies on October June 3, 2009. She introduced us to the poem "The Cat and the Moon" by William Butler Yeats, featuring a black cat by the name of Minnaloushe:

The cat went here and there

And the moon spun round like a top,

And the nearest kin of the moon,

The creeping cat, looked up.

Black Minnaloushe stared at the moon,

For, wander and wail as he would,

The pure cold light in the sky

Troubled his animal blood.

Minnaloushe runs in the grass

Lifting his delicate feet.

Do you dance, Minnaloushe, do you dance?

When two close kindred meet,

What better than call a dance?

Maybe the moon may learn,

Tired of that courtly fashion,

A new dance turn.

Minnaloushe creeps through the grass

From moonlit place to place,

The sacred moon overhead

Has taken a new phase.

Does Minnaloushe know that his pupils

Will pass from change to change,

And that from round to crescent,

From crescent to round they range?

Minnaloushe creeps through the grass

Alone, important and wise,

And lifts to the changing moon

His changing eyes.

Thanks for visiting!

My original ACEO art of Cat Lover No. 33 is now available in my Etsy shop. This mini watercolor painting is in ACEO (Art Card Editions and Originals) format, which means that the artwork size is 2.5" x 3.5", the same as a baseball card.

It is hand-painted on super-heavy Arches 300-lb. acid-free cold-press watercolor paper with professional quality watercolor paints. Click here for more details.

Today's Featured Cat Lady ACEO... Cat Lover No. 63

Cat Lady No 63 was first featured on 365 Cat Ladies on October 4, 2009. She introduced us to an old-timey recipe called Apple Slump and here is how it goes:

Peel and core some apples and slice them up nice and put them in a stew pot. Cook with a little sugar and water until soft but not too soft. Then in a bowl, sift 2 cups flour and 1 big pinch of baking powder with a pinch of salt, add 2 cups of milk, and stir. Roll out to fit into the stew pot and set on top of the apples. Put on the lid and cook for 10 minutes. Don't peek until that 10 minutes is up! Serve with fresh cream.

For more old-timey apple recipes visit the Apple Journal where there are dozens of recipes reproduced from The Encyclopedia of Practical Horticulture published in 1914 in North Yakima, Washington.


My original ACEO art of Cat Lover No. 63 is now available in my Etsy shop. This mini watercolor painting is in ACEO (Art Card Editions and Originals) format, which means that the artwork size is 2.5" x 3.5", the same as a baseball card.

It is hand-painted on super-heavy Arches 300-lb. acid-free cold-press watercolor paper with professional quality watercolor paints. Click here for more details.

Thanks for visiting!

Once a Cat Lady, Always a Cat Lady

Today marks the end of yet one more complete orbit around the sun. In other words, I've added a new number to my age. In other words, I ain't no spring chicken. In other words, I enjoyed a lovely birthday today.

Here I am when I actually was a spring chicken [note: this is the first time, and definitely the last time that I will ever appear topless on the internet]:


Many beloved pets have paraded through my life over these many decades: goldfish, dogs, guinea pigs, tadpole/frogs, turtles, parakeets, tropical fish, my son's bearded dragon, and of course, cats, kitties, felines, and kittens.

The two polydactyl orange tabby kittens pictured here were my introduction to petdom. They weren't officially pets, as they were part of a family of strays that lived in our woodpile out back and kept it free of mice. But we got to play with the kittens and I loved these two in particular. They were twins, except for the fact that one had six toes on each paw, and the other had seven.

This former spring chicken and longtime Cat Lady would like to thank everyone who has contributed to a fantastic year as we circle the sun together, ending with your warm wishes and thoughtful greetings today!! You are loved and appreciated!

Today's Featured Cat Lady ACEO... Cat Lover No. 86

Cat Lover No. 86 was first featured on 365 Cat Ladies on October 7, 2009, and introduced us to several different ways to preserve the colorful beauty of autumn leaves:

1. Use a glycerin and water solution
2. Iron between two pieces of wax paper
3. Drying in the microwave
4. Press between the pages of a heavy book

Whichever way you choose, you will find more detailed instructions here: How To Preserve Leaves

My mini watercolor painting of Cat Lover No. 86 is currently available for sale in my Etsy Shop. This ORIGINAL work of art is in ACEO (Art Card Editions and Originals) format, which means that the artwork size is 2.5" x 3.5", the same as a baseball card. ACEOs are a fun and economical way to enjoy and collect original artwork!

It is hand-painted on super-heavy Arches 300-lb. acid-free cold-press watercolor paper with professional quality watercolor paints. It is artist-initialed by me on the front, signed, dated, and titled on back. For information about purchasing this one-of-a-kind original mini painting, click on the image above.

Thanks for visiting!

Today's Featured Cat Lady ACEO... Bewitched No. 1

Bewitched No. 1 was first featured on 365 Cat Ladies on September 4, 2009. Cat Lady Lavancha introduced us to Fang, her jet black feline friend. When Lavancha hears something go {{BUMP}} in the night, nine times out of 10 she can blame it on Fang.

I also shared a little peek at my black and white line drawings for my Bewitched designs. I liken these drawings to creating my own coloring book...the best part is when it's time to pick out the colors and fill in the blanks!


My original ACEO art of Lavancha and Fang is now available in my Etsy shop. This mini watercolor painting is in ACEO (Art Card Editions and Originals) format, which means that the artwork size is 2.5" x 3.5", the same as a baseball card.

It is hand-painted on super-heavy Arches 300-lb. acid-free cold-press watercolor paper with professional quality watercolor paints. Click here for more details.

Thanks for visiting!

Today's Featured Cat Lady ACEO... Garden Cat Lady No. 3

Garden Cat Lady No. 3 was first featured on 365 Cat Ladies on June 26, 2009 and introduced us to 10 good reasons to grow, buy and eat organic fruits and vegetables.

Because October is Vegetarian Awareness Month, it seems a good time to review the benefits of organic foods and products, according to the Organic Trade Association:

Organic products meet stringent standards

Organic certification is the public’s assurance that products have been grown and handled according to strict procedures without persistent toxic chemical inputs.

Organic food tastes great!

It’s common sense – well-balanced soils produce strong, healthy plants that become nourishing food for people and animals.

Organic production reduces health risks

Many EPA-approved pesticides were registered long before extensive research linked these chemicals to cancer and other diseases. Organic agriculture is one way to prevent any more of these chemicals from getting into the air, earth and water that sustain us.

Organic farms respect our water resources

The elimination of polluting chemicals and nitrogen leaching, done in combination with soil building, protects and conserves water resources.

Organic farmers build healthy soil

Soil is the foundation of the food chain. The primary focus of organic farming is to use practices that build healthy soils.

Organic farmers work in harmony with nature

Organic agricultural respects the balance demanded of a healthy ecosystem: wildlife is encouraged by including forage crops in rotation and by retaining fence rows, wetlands, and other natural areas.

Organic producers are leaders in innovative research

Organic farmers have led the way, largely at their own expense, with innovative on-farm research aimed at reducing pesticide use and minimizing agriculture’s impact on the environment.

Organic producers strive to preserve diversity

The loss of a large variety of species (biodiversity) is one of the most pressing environmental concerns. The good news is that many organic farmers and gardeners have been collecting and preserving seeds, and growing unusual varieties for decades.

Organic farming helps keep rural communities healthy

USDA reported that in 1997, half of U.S. farm production came from only 2% of farms. Organic agriculture can be a lifeline for small farms because it offers an alternative market where sellers can command fair prices for crops.

Organic abundance – Foods and non-foods alike!

Now every food category has an organic alternative. And non-food agricultural products are being grown organically – even cotton, which most experts felt could not be grown this way.

My mini watercolor painting of Garden Cat Lady No. 3 is in ACEO (Art Card Editions and Originals) format, which means that the artwork size is 2.5" x 3.5", the same as a baseball card. ACEOs are a fun and economical way to enjoy and collect original artwork!

It is hand-painted on super-heavy Arches 300-lb. acid-free cold-press watercolor paper with professional quality watercolor paints. It is artist-initialed by me on the front, signed, dated, and titled on back. For information about purchasing this one-of-a-kind original mini painting, click on the image.

Thanks for visiting!

Today's Featured Cat Lady ACEO... Cat Lover No.87

Cat Lover No. 87 is a DIY CCL.

Her Siamese feline friend Spinner knows that stands for a "Do-It-Yourself Crafty-Cat-Lady".

She was first featured on 365 Cat Ladies on October 9, 2009 and introduced us to the website One Pretty Thing. Each day its creator (Cat Lady Rachel, with the help of pretty kitty Lil' B) "scours the craft forums, sites and blogs to bring you the best tutorials and DIY projects from across the internet," including my "how to paint a Cat Lady" tutorial!

My mini watercolor painting of Cat Lover No. 87 is in ACEO (Art Card Editions and Originals) format, which means that the artwork size is 2.5" x 3.5", the same as a baseball card. ACEOs are a fun and economical way to enjoy and collect original artwork!

It is hand-painted on super-heavy Arches 300-lb. acid-free cold-press watercolor paper with professional quality watercolor paints. It is artist-initialed by me on the front, signed, dated, and titled on back. For information about purchasing this one-of-a-kind original mini painting, click on the image above.

Thanks for visiting!

365 Cat Ladies Revisited

Over the past few weeks I've been pleasantly surprised at how many Cat Ladies are already picking out holiday gifts for their special somebodies, and tucking them away until that special day.

With that in mind, I've been re-stocking my Etsy shop and have decided to offer up the remaining mini paintings from my 365 Cat Ladies ACEO collection, a few of which are pictured here. You'll find tabbies, himmys, tuxies, persians, black cats, and ginger kitties; blondes, brunettes, and silver-haired goddesses-- every kind of cat and cat lady that I could think of...

You might remember that in 2009 I had the crazy idea of painting one Cat Lady for each day of the year, and then featured them on this very blog. About 100 of those that I posted were commissioned custom portraits. The other 200 were fanciful cat ladies from my imagination, painted in ACEO (Art Card Editions and Originals) format, which means that the artwork size is 2.5" x 3.5", the size of a baseball card.

Each is hand-painted on super-heavy Arches 300-lb. acid-free cold-press watercolor paper with professional quality watercolor paints. They are artist-initialed on front, signed, dated, and titled on back. ACEO art is a super affordable way to collect, share and enjoy original art!

These mini paintings are adorable when matted and framed, or displayed on an easel!


I'll be adding more, and highlighting some of my favorites over the coming weeks. Please visit this link to see those that are currently available.

Enjoy!

A Happy Day

Thank you to everyone who participated in last week's Calendar Giveaway! It was fun reading everyone's description of their favorite day of the year on 365 Cat Ladies and over at The Hive. . Birthdays and Christmas were high on the list, but there were many other fun and interesting days mentioned...

Without further ado, here are the three winners, whose names were drawn at random. Each will receive one of my new 2012 Mini Cat Ladies Calendars:

ERIN (mom to 8 cats) who said: I always love Thanksgiving day.

VALERIE who said: My favorite day of the year is EVERY DAY. Truly. (Valerie lives in Austria and creates beautiful fabric wrapped coil baskets--visit her blog Val's Play)

DESPINA who said: Christmas!!

CONGRATULATIONS!

More favorite days that were mentioned:

jc said... My favorite day of the year is the 1st of January, there's nothing more exciting than the beginning of a brand new year!

Katysaid... Our favorite day is St. Francis Day!

TopHat said...I love March 8, International Women's Day!

Jenna said... Dia de los Muertos! Partly because it's my birthday too :)

Anne said... Valentine's Day -- a day especially for love!

And my personal favorite, a Leap Year Baby (who has been on the planet for a number of decades but is still a teenager!!!)

thieba said... My number one choice is of course Leap Day because it's my birthday. I'll finally be 14 in 2012. Since that's only once every four years, my second choice is Thanksgiving. It's all about the food - yummy pumpkin pie - and family.

Thanks for visiting!

Didn't win a calendar? Don't despair...2012 Calendars are now for sale in my Etsy shop: 2010 Cat Lady Calendar

Eat Your Veggies! Seven Good Reasons Why

It's Vegetarian Awareness Month!

That deserves a 14 Carrot Salute!

The North American Vegetarian Society (NAVS) has provided seven great reasons to go meatless, whether for one day a week or for every meal:

• Reduce the risk of major killers such as heart disease, strokes and cancers; • Provide a viable answer to feeding the world’s hungry through more efficient use of grains and other crops; • Save animals from suffering in factory-farm conditions and from the pain and terror of slaughter; • Conserve vital but limited freshwater, fertile topsoil and other precious resources; • Preserve irreplaceable ecosystems such as rainforests and other wildlife habitats; • Decrease greenhouse gases that are accelerating global warming; • Mitigate the ever-expanding environmental pollution of animal agriculture.

Not convinced yet? You'll find lots of great information, recipes, and resources for healthy, compassionate, and ecological living at the NAVS website.

Need more incentive to give it a try? Take a pledge to go Meat Free this October… for a day, week, or the whole month, and You Could Win Up to $1,000! Just visit this link and click on the "Pledge Online" button: World Vegetarian Day.

My personal tips for enjoying vegetarian meals: forget that truck-weary, picked-green, pithy, hybridized stuff that passes for produce at most grocery stores. Buy local, visit farmer's markets, or grow your own and you'll be amazed at how FLAVORFUL vegetables and fruits can be when they are fresh off the tree or vine-ripened! Choose the more flavorful heirloom varieties (my personal favorite). With the money you save by not buying meat, you can splurge and buy ORGANIC produce that is pesticide free. And become friends with exotic food items like falafel, tofu, and tempeh, orzo, pesto, and hummus. Embrace garlic.

Your taste buds will thank you!

What is your favorite vegetarian food item? Please share in the comments section below.