And the Winners Are...

Last week you were asked "How Do You Feel About E-readers Like Kindle?" in a Very Scientific Poll (multiple answers were allowed).

• No one thought "They are the end of civilization as we know it"
• 50 % said "Give me a traditional book any day!"
• 35% said "It's a cool way to carry around a library in your pocket"
• 25% said "I love anything that encourages people to read"
• 20% meowed "I don't read books. I'm a cat."

Three names were chosen at random to win a set of 6 personalized bookplates (they get to choose from 12 different designs) and they are:

Pam, who "loves a good book". Be sure to check out her beautiful beadwork at Queenie's Beads, and her lovely ceramics at Country Maid Garden & Gifts

Cat Lady Jennifer, who is "mom" to eight cats and who said, "I vote for the real book any time, hands down! I also, however, voted that I like anything that encourages people to read." You can find out more about her and her many artistic endeavors at JenniferLynn Productions

Wife and husband book review team Karen and Gerard, who also voted for a real book. They live with cats Spunky Doodle and Manny, and have a book review blog called Grab A Book From Our Stack.

Didn't win? Personalized bookplates in 12 different designs are available in my Etsy Shop at this link: bookplates.

Congratulations to the winners and thank you to everyone who participated for your input!

Kindle or No? Make Your Opinion Known

E-book reader gizmos--are they the end of civilization as we know it? Are they the sad demise of libraries, bookstores, and paperbacks? Or are they a fantastic alternative mode of delivering stories and information to the masses? An amazing way to carry around an entire library of reading material in your back pocket? An exciting new way to promote literacy?

Make your opinion known and you'll be eligible for a 365 Cat Ladies and Friends giveaway! Read on for details...

Personally, I could not live in a world without the intoxicating smell of paper that greets me when I walk into a bookstore or a library. It all started in kindergarten, where I was introduced to the mesmerizing scent of Manila paper, which at the time was an organic sort of thing made from a plant called Manila hemp. I loved its smell, its texture, and the welcoming way it soaked up the brilliant colors of my cigar-sized kindergarten crayons. My love affair with paper was only just beginning.

So now, in a bold move to proclaim my confidence in the survival of the paper-based book, I am introducing a new product in my Etsy online shop: Personalized Bookplates featuring art from my Library Cat Series:

The bookplates are 3-1/3" x 4" self-adhesive labels and come in a set of six. Currently there are 12 designs to choose from:

If you have commissioned a custom portrait from me in the past, I can substitute that artwork at no extra charge...Also, if there are any of my other images that you'd like to see on bookplates, I'm happy to give them a try (the artwork must be adaptable to a square format).

And now for the giveaway details!

Make your opinion known by voting in the poll in the right-hand column (you may check as many boxes as you'd like), then let me know you voted in the Comments section of this post. Voting will end on Sunday, Jan. 9, at midnight, at which time I'll select THREE names at random from the comments section to each win a set of personalized bookplates of their choice.

Please make sure that I have a way to contact you in case you are the lucky winner, such as a link to your blog or e-mail address included in your comment.

Also, if you encounter trouble with the Comments feature, please contact me by e-mail --you'll find a link under my Profile.

Thanks for participating!

Cue the Fireworks...Again!

Strike up the band! Shout from the rooftops! I'm dancing a jig!

Why? Not only is it a brand new year, it is also my TWO year Blogiversary!!

When I set out two years ago to write a blog with a new painting of a Cat Lady each day for one year, little did I know what a fun adventure I was embarking on! Through the miracles of modern technology, I have made the acquaintance of a multitude of fabulous and fascinating Cat Ladies and Lads, their feline friends, plus animal fanatics and nature lovers from around the world. I am grateful for your friendships, your stories, your collaborations, and your support!

---------------------------------------------------------

CONGRATULATIONS ARE IN ORDER

Congratulations to the winners of THREE different giveaways over the past month!

CAT TELEPATHY GIVEAWAY
Cat Lady Sheila of Florida won the lavender pomander. She is mom to one kitty, a red tabby named Joey, who was a feral cat and has been her baby for 11 years now. She reminded me that she was the lucky winner of a bookmark in March and says "I want you to know that I absolutely LOVE it and use it all the time!"

Cat Lady Mimi of Seattle won the bookmark. She is a talented watercolor artist and you can see more of her work at her online gallery/blog. She recently had a happy experience involving a painting and a charity auction-- you can read about it here: Worth More Than Money

Cat Lady Kaelynne of Texas won the earrings. She tells us about her feline friends: "The House Cats: Tabatha - 8, grey tabby, who is in love with my husband; she and her sister, TaMolly (grey and white tabby)were born under our bed.
Tank, a Siamese, came to us as a 6 week old kitten, who was fearless, and would pop the dogs in the nose if they got in his way. PJ (Pumkin Jr.) was adopted at a local PetsMart last year and is a typical yellow tabby. Barn Cat: Last, but not least is Thomas(Tommy) a beautiful dark gray tabby that adopted us two years ago. He might not have stayed if he knew he was going to be neutered -lol. He is a barn cat, and earns his keep by keeping my horse barn free of vermin - which keeps away the snakes."

Cat Lady Anita of Colorado won the catnip toy. Sadly, her family recently lost a puppy, as mentioned in her telepathy entry: "Our boys are wondering a lot... we lost our puppy a few weeks ago by a car accident. So I think Barabas is saying: Where is that mop that would tackle me? I miss him." Her kitties are Barabas, Jello-Bean, Grover and Albert.

Advice Columnist and blogging cat Fisher won the pendant. Her bio: "I am Fisher. Female. Black and White. Never married. Pisces. Living happily in St. Petersburg, FL. I have enjoyed life as a self-employed advice columnist and, happy to report, published! One of my favorite things is to find places to sleep where they usually can’t find me and for sure don’t interrupt my napping. I really love to think. I think a lot! That’s why I hide. To nap. And dream. Or to pretend I am sleeping so I can just think about things." No word as to whether Fisher will keep the pendant for herself , or give it to her favorite Cat Lady.


CONSCIOUS CAT GIVEAWAY
Congratulations to Cat Lady Lynn of Illinois for winning the December giveaway hosted by Cat Lady Ingrid of The Conscious Cat! She won her choice of a pendant and picked this one. She tells us: "We have SIX felines here ranging from age 22 yrs old down to 2 yrs (our three 2yr olds are siblings we rescued). It's a first for us to adopt a group of siblings (Molly, Leo and Lyle), but I can say the close bond they have with each other is something that surprised us..they do everything together as a 'pack'. I have always loved cats deeply, and will always have at least four in our home.."

12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS GIVEAWAY at THE HIVE
Congratulations to Fiber Artist Donnely of Ohio who won this pendant! If you haven't discovered The Hive yet, it's a great place for artsy-craftsy types..."a dynamic social community designed to help provide a connection between everyone in the arts, crafts and hobby industry. Whether you are a manufacturer, professional artist, hobbyist, retailer or consumer, you have a voice." Click here for more information: THE HIVE

------------------------------------------------------------

Buttonwillow and I would like to wish each and every one of you a
healthy, prosperous, love-filled and PURR-fect New Year!
All the best, Susan Faye

More Cat Telepathy

It seems that Buttonwillow is not the only cat who has to resort to telepathy when needing to get an important message across to those who do not understand the meaning of meow. Based on the responses so far in the Holiday Giveaway, most telepathic messages have to do with gastronomy or unwelcome guests:

Junior and Orion said,"Well, we tell our Meowm all the time to 'FEED US NOW!' She doesn't listen too well."

In Cat Lady Cyndi's world the message is: "When are you getting rid of that dog?!?!?"

Cat Lady Amy of Amy's Stocking Stuffers tells a story of a message coming through LOUD and CLEAR: "I'm pretty sure that when I trapped another stray a few months ago and had her overnight in the laundry room... I was bombarded by telepathic messages from at least 3 of my current 7 saying 'Don't you DARE bring another cat in here!' In fact, so strongly did I feel that they wanted the new intruder (eventually named Freddie by her new person) far, far away, that I flew Freddie from TX to NY, using Feline Fella Paul's frequent flyer miles to do so. (For the record, I do not recommend flying with a cat unless absolutely necessary. We did not enjoy ourselves on the flight. My fellow passengers did not seem to appreciate the yowling either. And that was AFTER giving Freddie a sedative!)"

Buttonwillow is informing me that she has a telepathic message for YOU.

She is saying "Resistance is futile. You are now a captive of my endless charms and will go to this blog post: CAT TELEPATHY (And a Holiday Giveaway) and you will tell me in the comments section what YOUR cat is telling you telepathically. Your reward will be a chance to win one of FIVE prizes in a giveaway that ends tomorrow night. Thank you and good luck. Oh, and while I have you under my spell, send tuna treats. Pronto."

Thanks for visiting!

Cat Telepathy (and a Holiday Giveaway)

It's been a tad hectic here at World Headquarters. We've been working day and night in the workshop finishing paintings and filling orders, and at Buttonwillow's suggestion, I used toaster waffles and chocolate as bait to lure a couple elves into helping us. In just the last three days we've shipped 50 packages. In the past weeks we've sent parcels as far away as Norway, Brazil, Australia, Nova Scotia, Great Britain, and even Turkey!

In fact, it's been so busy around here that occasionally a small bicolor cat can get lost in the shuffle.

That's where telepathy comes in.

Here is a photo of Buttonwillow sending me a telepathic message.
Can you guess what she is saying?

Allow me to translate.
She is saying, "Whatsa girl gotta do around here to get some attention?"
Distracted, I ignore her.


Now she is saying, "Sheesh. Do I have to spell it out for you?"

"Here. Allow me to open the cupboard for you. {{Damn, I hope Santa brings me some opposable thumbs for Christmas}}."

Just where did she learn language like that? Santa might bring her coal instead.

"Okay, are you getting the idea now?"

"No? Now I'm POINTING to the one I want."

Still no response from the slow-moving simian-like creature.
Buttonwillow (still speaking telepathically) says, "Oh you poor addled thing. If it's going to help move things along here, I'll even get it out of the cupboard for you..."

"...and I'll remind you where the food dish is, in case you've forgotten. Just follow me."

Is your favorite feline staring at you right now? No doubt telepathy is at work. What message is your cat sending to you? Share it in the comments section below, and your name will be thrown in the hat for a chance to win one of FIVE giveaway prizes! Entries may also be left on my Facebook post--only one entry per person will count, however. Giveaway ends Sunday, December 19 at midnight, when five names will be drawn at random to win one of these 5 prizes:

A lavender tabletop pomander, a deluxe bookmark, a "birdbrain" glass pendant, glass dangle earrings, or a catnip ravioli toy.
















Please make sure that I have a way to contact you in case you are the lucky winner, such as a link to your blog or e-mail address included in your comment.

Also, if you encounter trouble with the Comments feature, please contact me by e-mail --you'll find a link under my Profile.

(And don't forget to enter my other giveaway going on over at The Conscious Cat where the winner gets his/her choice of ANY wearable art glass pendant from my Etsy shop!)

Thanks for participating!!

Cat Lady Spotlight...And a Giveaway!!

Would you like to consciously create a joyful life that fully reflects who you really are? Are you looking for information to keep your furry family members healthy, happy and content?

Meet Cat Lady Ingrid: Writer, Author, Reiki Master Practitioner, and all-round feline fanatic who has a special place in her heart for tortoiseshell kitties.

Her blog, The Conscious Cat is a an inspirational resource for conscious living, health and happiness for pets and their people. The blog was originally inspired by Amber - a beautiful tortie - who Ingrid describes as "a very wise old soul in a feline body". It was with great sadness that Ingrid and fans said goodbye to Amber this past spring, but it wasn't long before another beautiful tortie named Allegra found her way into our hearts. The Consious Cat also contains lessons from Buckley (you guessed it, another terrific tortie!), who is the subject of Ingrid's recently published book Buckley’s Story – Lessons from a Feline Master Teacher

I recently had the pleasure of being interviewed by Ingrid, who is hosting a Susan Faye Giveaway over at The Conscious Cat. The winner will receive their choice of any one of my glass tile pendants. For more information and to enter the giveaway, visit this post: An Interview With Susan Faye . The giveaway ends December 22.

Thanks for visiting!

Calling All Cat Ladies and Friends

The Food Lady (aka Karen Nichols, Cat Lady extraordinaire) needs your help!

In just one week, she will be participating in the 2010 Susan G. Komen San Francisco Bay Area 3-Day for the Cure, a 60-mile walk over the course of three days. Net proceeds from the walk are invested in breast cancer research and community programs.

Karen's goal: To raise $3000 for the Cure!

Ready to help out? Need a little extra incentive? Good news: Skeezix the Cat is hosting "a big blow-out raffle to help the Food Lady meet her fun-razing gole for her brest canser walk. She is waaaaaay behind and needs to meet her gole beefore the walk starts on Oktober 1st. Heer's how it werks. For each $5 yoo donate, you'll git one raffle tikket. When the raffle closes, we'll pik five entries at randum."


One of the raffle prizes is this Susan Faye original jewelry set (value $32). To see the other fabulous prizes and for instructions on how to donate, visit Skeezix's blog post. You can go directly to Karen's donation page here: DONATE

Entry deadline is September 30th.

Thanks for participating!!!

Back To School Giveaway

Have you noticed? Fashion-correct Cat Ladies have retired their white shoes and handbags, fluttering leaves are changing their hues, and the school crossing signs are blinking once again. That can only mean one thing: it's time to introduce my new back-to-school-inspired pendants and have a GIVEAWAY!









































Inspired by cat-loving teachers, librarians, students, and book club buddies, these designs celebrate the love of books and reading!

A mini print of my artwork has been preserved under crystal-clear glass, then hand-crafted into a sparkling pendant. The rectangle glass tile is 7/8-inch wide and 1-1/4 inches tall and features a silvertone bail. Here is your chance to win one:

Just leave a comment at the end of the post and mention the name of your favorite teacher, librarian, student, or bibliophile and your name will be entered into a random drawing! Giveaway ends Friday, Sept 17 at 10 p.m. PST. One name will be drawn at random and will receive their choice of one of these pendants, including a 24" silvertone petite ball chain. Open to book lovers and feline fanatics world-wide!

Please make sure that I have a way to contact you in case you are the lucky winner, such as a link to your blog or e-mail address included in your comment.

Also, if you encounter trouble with the Comments feature, please contact me by e-mail --you'll find a link under my Profile.

Thanks for participating!

The 10 new pendants pictured are now available for sale at my online Etsy shop. Just click on an image to find out more information about that item!

And the Winners Are...

Three names were drawn at random and each has won a matted print of their choice from my Etsy shop in the Go Green Garden Cat Giveaway:

Canadian Cat Lady Catherine chose this print and tells us a little bit about herself...

"My cat's name is Banjo and he is one big boy ~ 18 lbs (he used to be 30 lbs!) My goal for when I retire, in about 10 years, is to foster kitties for the SPCA. But for now, it's one husband, one son, one cat! " Her passions include cats, birds (and most other animals) crafting, writing and photography and blogging. You can find out more about Catherine at her lovely blog Corner of Cat's Mind.

Cat Lady Curator ALSO chose Bird Brain No. 4! If you are wondering about her web name, it might have something to do with the fact that for the past 4 years she has mixed her love of art history and pets in her fascinating blog The Pet Museum!

"I live with my artist husband, and our pets: an English setter and my two cats Bac' (say: Botch - it's Italian) and Elizabeth (named after a super-feisty grandmother). Bac' and Elizabeth will do anything, ANYTHING for freeze-dried chicken treats. Elizabeth and the dog are best friends, though his idea of kissing her is to stick her head in his mouth... I am a big believer in Etsy and in independent films and bookstores."

And last but not least, Crazy Cat Lady Carm was our third winner! She chose this orange tuxedo garden cat print. Carm, aka Cat Lady No. 217, is (no surprise) a Leo, and is currently celebrating her birthmonth (Cat Ladies of a certain age have earned the privilege of celebrating a birthMONTH instead of a birthDAY)...

She is passionate about her seven kitties and Maine Coon cats, her grandkids, growing sunflowers, music, and serving as a docent at the Buffalo Zoo. You can follow all of her exploits on her wonderful blog Crazy Cat Lady Carm.

Thanks again to everyone who participated in the giveaway and contributed such great garden cat stories and gardening tips!!

Go Green Garden Cat Giveaway Ends Tonight

There is still time to enter the Go Green Garden Cat Giveaway if you haven't already. It ends tonight at 11 p.m. PST.

Enter for a chance to win one of THREE prizes in the August giveaway: your choice of a Garden Cat Print from my Etsy shop (or your choice of any other matted print in the shop of equal value [$12.50])! Just leave a comment at the end of this link: GIVEAWAY with your own favorite tip for a green garden OR tell us what your cat's favorite garden activity is.

Be sure to check out the other great suggestions and garden cat stories while you are there. Here are a few examples:

Crazy Cat Lady Carm says: "This year we planted our little metal fire pit/container with parsley and basil--our town made it illegal to have recreational fires... Randy loves to make homemade pesto. We planted some Russian giant sunflowers- they are well over 8 feet tall. It's just so much fun and entertainment to see how big they will get! I feel like Jack and the Beanstalk!"

Cat Lady Catherine says: "I don't use any chemicals in my garden since I have rabbits and birds that always come to visit and with my cat munching on the catmint and chasing butterflies ~ I want to make sure everyone in my garden stays happy and healthy! Except the ants... I wish they would take a hike!"

Cat Lady Emily says: "Catherine, try crushed (pulverized) eggshell for the ants! It’s a trick mom taught me... they get hurt on it and it deters them plus the plants like the nutrients."

Thanks for participating! Details for the giveaway are at this link:

Go Green Garden Cat Giveaway

How Does Your Garden Grow?

Some great gardening ideas have already been shared in the Go Green Garden Cat Giveaway!

Each of these Cat Ladies plants a little something extra for their non-human friends when out tilling the soil:

Cat Lady Kim: "Using flats one would see at a plant/hardware store for purchasing plants, add soil and "cat grass" (wheat grass and/or cat nip seeds) and grow for your cats on back patio and to bring indoors! Mine love it!!!"

Cat Lady Mimi: "Only hardy plants do well in our Pacific NW yard. We grow blueberries, raspberries, plums and figs. And a generous helping of butterfly-friendly plants like rosemary, monarda, and other mints; we have a chemical free garden."

Cat Lady Layla: "I plant catnip in my herb garden every year and my cats all enjoy the health benefits of greens from the garden but usually prefer weeds. We never add any pesticides and allow about half and acre to go wild."

Enter today for a chance to win one of THREE prizes in the August giveaway: your choice of a Garden Cat Print from my Etsy shop (or your choice of any other matted print in the shop of equal value [$12.50])! Just leave a comment at the end of this link: GIVEAWAY with your favorite tip for a green garden OR tell us what your cat's favorite garden activity is. Be sure to check out the other great suggestions while you are there!Thanks for participating!