An Apple for the Teacher and Cat Haiku Revisited

My original ACEO watercolor painting of "Teacher's Pet No. 5" was first featured on 365 Cat Ladies and Friends on August 25, 2009.

This Cat Lady introduced us to some examples of Cat Haiku poetry that were written by our readers. Here they are again for your literary pleasure:



From Crazy Cat Lady Carm describing Pride:

oh brilliant orange cat
little prince of the sunset
feline spirit guide

From Cat Lady Tammy:

My big green eyes gaze
At my crazy cat lady
With undying love

From Cat Lady Lyz:

Julius, Marley;
Leave their paw prints on my heart;
Hair everywhere else

From Cat Lady Sarah:

One more cat makes nine
When does the line stop shifting?
The love is endless

Own a piece of 365 Cat Ladies History! Teacher's Pet 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.

Are You Ready?

The big weekend is almost upon us.

I've made myself a list of things to do.

Thanksgiving Thursday: Eat, drink, be merry. Give thanks for my friends, family, pets, cat ladies, pet people, nature lovers and lovely customers who have supported my creative endeavors in so many ways over this past year!

Black Friday: Rest, relax and veg out (Buttonwillow demonstrates the proper technique in the photo to the right). Be thankful that I'm "Shopping Small" this year.

Small Business Saturday: Rest, relax, and "Shop Small". American Express has spearheaded a movement that asks consumers to patronize small, independent, local, mom and pop businesses this year. "The 2nd annual Small Business Saturday® is a day dedicated to supporting small businesses on one of the busiest shopping weekends of the year. On November 26, we're asking millions of people to Shop Small at their favorite local stores and help fuel the economy. When we all shop small, it will be huge."

Simply Sunday: Rest, relax, and alert the elves to prepare for a busy week or two ahead.

Cyber Monday: Head back to the workshop and get those elves into high gear! And give thanks again for my friends, family, cat ladies, pet people, nature lovers and lovely customers who have supported my creative endeavors this past year !

[If you would like to make your own holiday list, click here for a printable list maker page like the one pictured here--a little holiday thank you from me]

And here are two more thank yous in the form of
two special offers
that are available between now and midnight on Cyber Monday:

1. Use coupon code THANKYOU15 at check-out and receive 15% off your entire purchase from my Etsy Shop. [Discount does not apply to wholesale listings]

AND

2. With any total purchase of $20 or more from my Etsy Shop, each customer will receive this exclusive mini print of my watercolor painting "Full Moon Serenity" absolutely FREE. It is 5 x 7" and suitable for framing, or display it on a small tabletop easel or on your fridge or bulletin board. Limit one free print per household.

HAVE A LOVELY WEEKEND!

Kitties and Kindness

Cat Lover No. 67 was first featured on 365 Cat Ladies on November 12, 2009, and introduced us to World Kindness Day, which takes place in November each year.

The Australian Kindness Movement describes an act of kindness as: "a spontaneous gesture of goodwill towards someone or something - our fellow humans, the animal kingdom, and the kingdom of nature. Kind words and deeds come from a state of benevolence, generated by a core response deep within all of us. When we carry out an act of kindness it is a message from one heart to another, an act of love, an unspoken 'I care' statement."

Numerous scientific studies show that acts of kindness result in significant health benefits, both physical and mental. Kindness can enhance feelings of emotional resilience, and vigor, and can reduce the unhealthy sense of isolation in both the giver AND the receiver!

So let's make every day World Kindness Day towards our fellow humans, our pets, and our planet! It's a win-win proposition.

Own a piece of 365 Cat Ladies History! Cat Lover No. 67 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.

Rainy Day Activities

My ACEO artwork of "Raindrops and Kitten No. 4" was first featured on 365 Cat Ladies on Nov. 6, 2009. It is the size of a baseball card and was painted on super-heavy Arches 300-lb.cold-press watercolor paper with professional quality watercolor paints. I initialed it on front, and signed, dated, and titled it on back.

It represents several of my favorite rainy day activities:

• Painting watercolors (what else?!)
• Walking in the rain with a pretty umbrella.
• Snuggling with a warm and fluffy friend.

It's POURING here in the Willamette Valley at this very moment, so I guess it's time to get out the watercolor paints, snuggle up with Buttonwillow, and since it's dark and cold outside, I'll just imagine walking in the rain for now.

What are your favorite rainy day activities?

Click on image above for more information about "Raindrops and Kitten No. 4".

A List of Lists and a Freebie For You!

It's that time of year to make lists. Many lists.

Grocery Lists
Gift Lists
Errand Lists
Christmas Card Lists
Wish Lists
Craft Supply Lists
To-Do Lists
Guest Lists
Important Dates To Remember Lists

So in order to help you with your list of lists, I have a little gift for you. It's my way of thanking you for your love and your support of my creative endeavors over the past year.

As readers, pet lovers, customers and friends,
you are all tops on my list!

Below is a printable list-making page. Right-click on the image and use the "save image as" option to save it to your desktop. You should then be able to print it up just like you would any photo. When printed full-size, it should fit on a standard 8.5 x 11" sheet of paper; then just cut it in half to make two lists.
[Please remember, this list-making page is a gift for personal use and enjoyment only. Commercial use or reproduction is prohibited. Please respect this policy with regards to all artists and their artwork...it's good karma!]

So what is tops on your list of lists this week? What lists will you be working on over the coming weeks? Please share in the comments section of this post. Thanks for visiting!

Giveaway Winners Revealed!

Congratulations to the winners of the 365 Cat Ladies Secret Identity Giveaway! Three names were drawn at random and the two runners-up were:

Rana Wilson, The "Crafting Enlish Prof", who said... Well, Dobby is named after a house-elf, and wow, should I not have done that. He's very much like Dobby the house-elf, only without the socks... And Buttercup is a not-so-stealthy stealth-licker... LOL!

Check out Rana's crafty creations at her Etsy shop Definitive Designs.

Cat Lady Jenny said... My cat Milo is a dog in disguise. He carries around pens in his mouth, drinks out of the toilet, and comes when he is called. What a goof.

Jenny has a great selection of creations for bird lovers at her Etsy shop A Bird In The Hand Art.

Rana and Jenny each won a mini calendar and chose the Cat Lover version pictured here...

The grand prize winner of the $30 gift certificate to my Etsy shop is:

Colleen - the AmAzINg Mrs. B, who said... We have "Lulu, Princess Warrior"..she can take on the world, and she thinks she's a big dog - even taking on a pit bull that attcked her little brother, Braxton, the Wal-Mart Greeter of a ShihTzu {he loves to greet anyone and every one on our walks, at the door, anywhere..}

You can follow along on her adventures over at her blog Main Street Memories. I love her profile description: "Pretending to be a normal person day after day can be exhausting, so I don't.."

CONGRATULATIONS to the WINNERS!!!

And a big thank you to everyone who participated!

More Secret Identities Revealed!

Does your pet have a secret identity?

Hop on on over to the Secret Identity Giveaway post and share your pet's alter-ego secrets for a chance to win a $30.00 gift certificate to my Etsy Shop. The two runners up will each receive their choice of one of my new calendars, either Cat Lovers or Nature Lovers (a $14.00 value). Giveaway ends TONIGHT, November 13. At 8 p.m.

But first, check out some of the entries:

Sock Monster

Amy said... Our Pixel pretends to be Helpful NASA Kitty during the day (http://bit.ly/tjhtDk), but at night he becomes the Sock Monster! (http://bit.ly/vAUwzF) It took us over a year to figure out which cat was behind the mysteriously transported socks!

Game Referee

Linda B said... Have 3 cats and they all have jobs, so the last is Fritz, our black cat, the playbaby. His job is to find bottlecaps, milk bottle rings and use the "force" to get me and my husband to play catch. He catches them in mid air and brings it to the other person, so all 3 of us can play.

Yoga Instructor

bcbeaveratheart said... My dog Brooklyn is a "Yoga" instructor in her spare time, she is able to preform all kinds of contorted positions, she does the best downward dog yoga position lol.

Cartoon Mooch and Horror Movie Character

Kimberly W said... I have 2 beautiful Golden Retrievers. "LeeLoo" my 10 year olds secret identity is Wimpy from Popeye, she is always looking for a free meal. And sweet Dollar Bill recently had surgery and has so many staples and stitches we can't help believe she is secretly Frankenstein or as we are calling her "FrankenBill".

Abominal Snow Pet

mystkblu said... I posted a picture on your Facebook wall of my fairly feral 3 pound monster Zoey. In this shot she's covered in snowballs that accumulated in her very fine, very long fur. She rarely comes in the house (we've had her for 7 years and barely see her). However, this particular storm proved too much and she came in with snowballs stuck all over her! Normally she just weathers the storms outside, but I guess the snowballs were enough to drive her inside and have Mom pull them off! [you can see the photo here]

Thank you for participating!!

Secret Identities Revealed!

Apparently, it is not unusual for a pet to have a secret alter-ego. Here are some examples:

NOCTURNAL FLORIST

HornCatCreations said...My cat, "Batman" is a nocturnal florist. He likes to take the flowers from the vase and turn them into abstract surprises on the table.

DETECTIVE/ARCHAEOLOGIST

DESPINA said...Our new puppy loves digging like a maniac!! Also, he somehow always manages to find things around the house which I've considered lost for ages!! I'd say he's like a detective-archaeologist -hence the name "Indy" I just gave him :))

DAREDEVIL/STUNTWOMAN

Janine said...One of my 3 cats' secret identity is Evil Knievel. She can jump across anything, including a fish pond!

VAMPIRE

rosewendy said...My dog gained his name shortly after arriving to live with us as a small puppy. His needle sharp baby teeth managed to draw blood at least once a day so my teenage daughter named him Jasper after(an incredibly hot) popular movie vampire.

HOUSE ELF

Rana Wilson said...Well, Dobby is named after a house-elf, and wow, should I not have done that. He's very much like Dobby the house-elf, only without the socks... And Buttercup is a not-so-stealthy stealth-licker... LOL!

WARRIOR PRINCESS and WALMART GREETER

Colleen - the AmAzINg Mrs. B said...We have "Lulu, Princess Warrior"..she can take on the world, and she thinks she's a big dog - even taking on a pit bull that attacked her little brother, Braxton, the Wal-Mart Greeter of a ShihTzu {he loves to greet anyone and every one on our walks, at the door, anywhere..}

Does your pet have a secret identity?

Hop on on over to the Secret Identity Giveaway post and share your pet's alter-ego secrets for a chance to win a $30.00 gift certificate to my Etsy Shop. The two runners up will each receive their choice of one of my new calendars, either Cat Lovers or Nature Lovers (a $14.00 value).Giveaway ends November 13. At 8 p.m.

Thanks for participating!!

Secret Identity Giveaway

Question: Does your pet have a secret identity?

On Halloween it was revealed that Buttonwillow's secret identity is:

Zee Midnight Slasher.

Here is a bit of her secret alter-ego's handiwork:

Are you ready to reveal your own pet's secret identity?

Fighter pilot?

Member of a motorcycle gang?

Ornithologist?

Be-boppin' Bobby Soxer?









Master Gardener or Soccer Star?









Based on your pet's characteristics and special qualities, tell us in 50 words or less what his or her secret identity is in the comments section at the end of this post. Multiple pets in one household count as one entry. Don't have a pet? Use the pet of a friend or relative. Entries will also be accepted in an identical post over at The Hive.

Each person who leaves a comment will be entered into a drawing to be held on November 13. At 8 p.m. PST on that day, three names will be drawn at random. The first name drawn will win a $30.00 gift certificate to my Etsy Shop. The two runners up will each receive their choice of one of my new calendars, either Cat Lovers or Nature Lovers (a $14.00 value).


NEW:
Bonus Entry #1: Become a follower of this blog (click "Join This Site" over there in the right-hand column), and once you do, please leave an extra comment at the end of this post saying you have done so. Already following? That counts too! Leave an extra comment to that effect.

Bonus Entry #2: Become a "liker"of my Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/SusanFayeArt, then leave an extra comment at the end of this blog post saying you have done so. Already a "liker"? That counts too! Leave an extra comment to that effect. You may post a picture of your pet in their alter-ego guise on my facebook page!

Please make sure that I have a way to contact you if you are the winner, such as a link to your blog or e-mail address included in the comment. You may send the info directly to my email if you don't want to make your contact info public.

Also, if you encounter trouble with the Comments feature, please contact me by e-mail. If you visit www.susanfaye.net , you will find an email link.

Thanks for participating!

Yipes Stripes! Today's Featured ACEO Cat Lady

Illustration Friday
Theme: stripes

Cat Lady Constance is just wild about stripes and orange ginger cats, like her friends Rusty and Paprika

Cat Lover No. 72 was first featured on 365 Cat Ladies on November 14, 2009. She introduced us to one of her very favorite paintings: "Woman With Cat" by impressionist painter Lilla Cabot Perry (1848-1933).

To take a peek at this beautiful painting, and to learn more about the artist, visit The Pet Museum website and enjoy the article Orange Cat, Left Shoulder.

Thanks for visiting!


Own a piece of 365 Cat Lady history! My original painting of Cat Lover No. 72 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.

Holiday Shipping Deadlines with Today's Featured Cat Lady ACEO

Cat Lover No. 81 was first featured on 365 Cat Ladies on December 16, 2009. She introduced us to Wrap Art
by artist John Boak. His website and blog contain great ideas using scraps of paper and found objects from around your house to embellish your gifts in the most creative ways.

Speaking of wrapping it up, it's not too soon to take a look at holiday shipping deadlines if you are planning to mail cleverly wrapped packages to friends and relatives during the coming weeks. Some of these deadlines are just 4 weeks away (Yikes!)...

Here are U.S. Postal Service deadlines to keep in mind if packages need to arrive by December 24th:

Domestic Mail Class	Deadline
FIRST CLASS MAIL®	DEC. 20
PRIORITY MAIL®	DEC. 21
EXPRESS MAIL®	DEC. 22 (Check your local Post Office)
PARCEL POST®	DEC. 15

International Mail Addressed To:	Global Express Guaranteed® (GXG)4	Express Mail International® (EMS)5	Priority Mail International™ (PMI)6	First-Class Mail International™
AFRICA	DEC. 20	DEC. 10	DEC. 2	DEC. 2
ASIA/PACIFIC RIM	DEC. 19	DEC. 15	DEC. 9	DEC. 9
AUSTRALIA/NEW ZEALAND	DEC. 19	DEC. 15	DEC. 9	DEC. 9
CANADA	DEC. 21	DEC. 16	DEC. 12	DEC. 9
CARIBBEAN	DEC. 20	DEC. 15	DEC. 12	DEC. 9
CENTRAL & SOUTH AMERICA	DEC. 20	DEC. 10	DEC. 2	DEC. 2
MEXICO	DEC. 21	DEC. 15	DEC. 9	DEC. 9
EUROPE	DEC. 20	DEC. 15	DEC. 12	DEC. 9
MIDDLE EAST	DEC. 20	DEC. 15	DEC. 12	DEC. 9

Military Mail Addressed To	Express Mail® Military Service (EMMS)¹	First-Class Mail® Letters/Cards	Priority Mail®	Parcel Airlift Mail (PAL)²	Space Available Mail (SAM)³	Parcel Post®
APO / FPO / DPO AE (Iraq and Afghanistan) ZIP 093	N/A	Dec. 3	Dec. 3	Dec. 1	Nov. 26	Nov. 12
APO / FPO / DPO AE (all others) ZIPs 090-092, 094-098, 340, 962-966	Dec. 17	Dec. 10	Dec. 10	Dec. 3	Nov. 26	Nov. 12

My Etsy Shop Ordering Deadlines

In order for your items to be received by Dec. 24 , I must receive your order by:
International: Dec. 1 (first class international mail)
United States:- Dec. 11 (first class mail items)
Dec. 15 ( priority mail items)
Please allow an additional 5 days for wholesale/bulk orders, items that will be personalized, or special requests.

Another reason to plan ahead and order early:

Each item is individually hand-made by me (or one of my helper elves) and although I try to anticipate customer needs and keep my inventory up-to-date, I sometimes run out of certain materials and/or certain items by early- or mid-December. If you have your eye on a particular something for a particular somebody, there is no time like the present to procure your present!

Click here to see my current selection of goodies: My Etsy Shop

Thank you for your continued support of my creative endeavors!
It means a lot to me. :-)

Own a piece of 365 Cat Lady history! My original painting of Cat Lover No. 81 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.