Time To Hit The Road

Buttonwillow just about fainted dead away when she heard the news...

I'm leaving on a road trip tomorrow!

My friend Anne and I are driving cross-country to visit her dad in Alabama.

I'll be gone for two weeks, but my Etsy shop will stay open.  Wholesale listings will not be available, and special requests won't be available, but everything you see listed in my shop will be available. The shop will be in the capable hands of my son Chris who will be handling shipping in my absence and will try to answer any questions that come up.  I'll be checking in periodically for anything that might stump him. Don't forget-- I'm having a Spring Cleaning Sale for the entire month of May, so check out all the bargains here:  Susan Faye Pet Projects on Etsy.

KICKSTARTER SNAZZY RAT NEWS

For the past two days, Christopher and I have been busy sending out some of the first Snazzy Rat Kickstarter pledge packages...  I had enough of my prototype fabric to make up about 10-12 of each rat, so we've been able to fill about 30 of the orders. 

  
Here are the package labels that I designed to go on each glassine paper bag.

And I have ordered the rest of the fabric, more catnip, packaging, shipping supplies, and the tote bags, so that when I return from my trip, we will go into high production with the goal of finishing up the pledge packages and having them shipped out by early June.

 I guess I'd better go finish packing. I'll post some photos from the road if I get a chance... 

What's Cookin' -- Part 2

Last week I shared the black and white drawings for my new cat toys. 

artwork copyright 2013 Susan Faye. May not be reproduced without permission. Thanks!

The next step was my favorite part: 

 COLOR! 

Buttonwillow and Inka requested SNAZZY colors, so here is what I came up with:

artwork copyright 2013 Susan Faye. May not be reproduced without permission. Thanks!

How am I doing so far?" I asked my studio assistants.

"Not bad," said Buttonwillow.
"Snazzy!" said Inka.  "Pssst- does anyone know what snazzy means?"

 I sent the artwork to Spoonflower.com where they professionally printed my designs on one yard of durable cotton twill canvas, and here is what came back in the mail:

The anticipation is rising around here and so is the intoxicating scent of catnip as I take the bin of organic 'nip out of the closet and sit at my sewing machine. 

Next:  The prototypes!

Inka Says: Shop Small!

Today is Small Business Saturday, a day dedicated to supporting small businesses.  It's a great way to create jobs and support your community, simply by buying from local, independent, mom and pop small businesses in your neighborhood and/or online. 

 ...and now a word from The-World's-Cutest-Kitten-Known-To-Man-Woman-or-Wastebasket:

Thank you, Miz Inka Kitten for those thoughtful words. To celebrate, I am offering a 20% discount in MY small business, my Etsy Shop online.  Use coupon code HOLIDAY20 when checking out to get your discount on your entire purchase (excluding shipping costs and wholesale listings).  Offer good today through Cyber Monday, Nov. 26.

Click here to see all of my art, jewelry, and hand-crafted giftware: Susan Faye Pet Projects  

  

Thank you for continuing to support my creative endeavors!  

It means a lot to me!

What's New? Memo Mugs!

  Introducing something brand new 
from Susan Faye World Headquarters...

 Memo Mugs!

Each gift set includes a Susan Faye ceramic mug, plus matching memos and a mini ballpoint pen. Sip an eye-opening cup of java while you jot down your most important memos, lists, or recipes, or use the mug as a cheerful desk caddy for your pens, pencils or paint brushes. 




The mug measures 3.75" tall and 3" in diameter. It is dishwasher & microwave safe, but to keep the artwork bright and shiny, please do not clean outside surface with abrasives...

There are 15 matching memo/notes tucked inside which are 2.5 x 5.5" and are printed on 100% recycled paper, plus a mini retractable ball point pen. The set comes packaged in a cello bag, ready for gift-giving.

This one is suitable for men; they also make great teacher's gifts:

 Your knitting buddies might get a kick out of this one:

 

Four designs are now available in my Etsy shop. Click on any link for more details:

Early Bird

Garden Kittens

Knit One, Purr Two

Bon Apetit Bunny

More Memo Mug Gift Sets are in the works, so stay tuned!

If you would like to purchase any of the mugs separately, they are available in my Cafepress Shop at this link, where you will find over 200 of my designs:  Mugs

Studio Tour Entryway: Cat Ladies Galore!

Welcome to my home studio!  As you walk in the front door, this is now what you see as I prepare for the Art Harvest Studio Tour of Yamhill County that begins on Friday:

Studio Assistant Buttonwillow conducted a brief inspection this morning and thinks the posies are a nice touch.

As many of you know, I had a crazy idea a few years ago to paint 365 Cat Ladies (and Lads!) and post one a day for a year.  As a result, this blog was born in 2009.  Many of the cat lady paintings were in the ACEO format (Art Card Editions and Originals)-- the size of a baseball card.

I decided to showcase some of these in the entryway of my home studio for the studio tour.  I have only about 50 of the 2009 art cards left.

Because the Art Harvest Studio Tour is celebrating its 20th year, each artist was asked to created something with a "20" theme.  I decided to frame 20 of my ACEO art cards and make a grouping of them:

Haha-- everytime I pound a nail in the wall, my grouping goes wonky.  I'll straighten them up right before my guests arrive!

The framed ACEO's that you see in my entryway are $20 each (plus shipping if applicable).  If you see one that you like, drop me a line.  Unframed ACEOs are available for purchase in my Etsy Shop.  Click here to see which ones are available: Original Art

The Studio Tour Approacheth

The Art Harvest Studio Tour begins in less than a week and I'm busy as a bee framing and hanging artwork in my home studio in anticipation of visitors starting Friday, October 5th.  Can't make it to Yamhill County this weekend or next? Don't despair. I'll be giving you a sneak peek and a virtual tour of my home studio over the next two weeks.
Here are a few of the paintings that I began hanging today...All are available for pre-sale; just drop me a line if you have any questions or would like to purchase one. [Prices do not include shipping].

Patio Cat" image: 10.5" x 13.5", ivory-colored matting 16" x 20";  $250 matted only

"Let It Snow" image: 11" x 15", matting 16" x 20"; $350 framed; $275 matted only

"Nature Girls" image: 10" x 14", matting 16" x 20"; $350 framed; $275 matted only

"Tiger Cat" image: 4.5" x 6.5", matting 11" x 14"; $150 framed; $100 matted only

"White Cat Lover" image: 4.5" x 6.5", matting 11" x 14"; $100 matted

"White Cat Lover" image: 4.5" x 6.5", matting 11" x 14"; $100 matted

For more information about the studio tour, click here:

 Art Harvest Studio Tour 

Thanks for visiting!

Art Harvest Studio Tour of Yamhill County

 As many of you know, I spent several years painting custom portraits of cat ladies and pet lovers, but last year I made a really tough decision and stopped taking commissions.  Although I loved painting these portraits, I came to the startling realization that my creative time, energy and inspiration were finite.  Who knew? When painting 2-3 portraits a week I found that I had nothing left over for my first love-- "serious watercolors".

 Which leads to this very exciting announcement :

I am pleased as punch and tickled pink to let you know that I have been juried into the Art Harvest Studio Tour of Yamhill County here in Oregon!

The tour takes place in October, and along with 30+ other NW artists, I will be opening up my home studio, sharing my latest artwork, and doing some demonstrations. In the coming weeks I'll be giving you a sneak peek at some of the artwork I am getting ready for the show. 

Here is a large watercolor on canvas painting that I started a while back and never finished.  I think it's time to finish it! 

This one is a little "study" that I did for a painting that is a tribute to the harvest activity of the Willamette Valley (harvest season is in full swing right now, but you'll only see teams like this at our local history museum's "Farm Fest").  I'll be showing more of this work-in-progress soon...

Here are the particulars about the tour: 

The Art Harvest Studio Tour is a self-guided tour through scenic Yamhill County, Oregon, and is a presentation of the Arts Alliance of Yamhill County.  More that 30 member-artists will be on this year's self-guided tour. The goal is to "spark your interest in visual arts, the creative process and the unique studio environment of the working artist".

2012 Tour Dates
Friday, Saturday and Sunday
October 5, 6, 7 and 12, 13, 14
10-6pm

To start the tour, just visit any of the participating studios and purchase a collectible Tour Admission Button. It's your ticket to as many studios as you wish to visit, all six days.
Adults: $7

18 and younger:FREE! 

For more information,and to see a list of participating artists and maps, visit our website:

ART HARVEST STUDIO TOUR

New Shadow Box Art!

As I've mentioned before, I had a beautiful love affair with shoebox dioramas in grade school.  I was equally in love with the fancy sugar eggs at Easter that had peepholes and charming miniature tableaux inside. So it should be no surprise that I take childlike delight in making my shadow box magnets and desktop dioramas...

Here is my work table with several in progress.  I print my artwork onto high quality heavy paper stock and begin to snip snip snip, then glue glue glue: 

Here are the newest designs that I recently came up with using elements from some of my illustrations (all recently added to my Etsy shop):

A ginger-orange tuxedo tabby mom and kitten magnet..

https://www.etsy.com/listing/104999366/orange-tuxedo-tabby-cat-and-kitten

A longhair ginger-orange tabby cat mom and kitten magnet...

https://www.etsy.com/listing/104999111/orange-tabby-cat-and-ginger-kitten

A Maine Coon tabby cat mom and kitten magnet...

https://www.etsy.com/listing/104998610/maine-coon-tabby-cat-and-kitten-shadow

And a Desktop Diorama featuring cats Gardner and Flora from my Garden Shed illustration..

https://www.etsy.com/listing/106697972/shadow-box-3-d-cat-art-garden-shed

To see my tutorial on making a Desktop Dioriama, click here:

Make a Desktop Diorama

 To see my full line of 3-D shadowbox/ diorama/ shrine/ tableaux, visit this link to my Etsy shop section:

Susan Faye Shadow Box Art  

 

Thanks for visiting!

Lavender Festival Sneak Peek

Creative production has been in high gear here at Susan Faye World Headquarters in anticipation of the upcoming Lavender Festival this weekend.  Buttonwillow has been in charge of quality control of the catnip toys:

Catnip Inspector Under The Influence

...while my son Chris has been helping me with jewelry and other projects.  Here is a peek at my work table filled with jewelry and glass paperweights in various stages of completion: 

I've also been working on a brand new item that I'll be testing out at the festival-- a decorative lavender sachet that can be hung on a wall or a doorknob, or can be tucked into a drawer.  They feature the "I Heart Cats" designs that I've been introducing on jewelry.  If they go over well this weekend, I'll be adding them to my Etsy shop.  I'll continue to add new cat colors and breeds to the jewelry and sachet lines over the remaining months of 2012.  Any requests?

The Yamhill Lavender Festival takes place this weekend, July 14 and 15, in the town of Yamhill Oregon. It includes a plein air art show, lots of vendors, and entertainment, all in the lovely shaded Beulah Park.  The Festival is part of the larger Oregon Lavender Festival Tour, where you can visit lavender farms throughout the county, a real treat to see AND to smell (we're talking MEGA aromatherapy!). 

http://www.oregonlavenderdestinations.com/festival.php/

Thanks for visiting!

Have a Blessed New Year, Thank You, and HELP!

Here is one reason you have not heard much from me lately:

My studio assistant Buttonwillow and I would like to thank all of our beautiful customers and patrons for keeping us so busy over the past few months. Not to mention, keeping the Willamina post office very busy too! I love sending my little goodies off to exotic and faraway places like Ireland, Hong Kong, Australia, Great Britain, Canada, Italy, Mexico. and Portugal.

I love what I do, and it would not be possible without your support, encouragement, and friendship!

Buttonwillow continues to help in whatever way possible.
What IS her fascination with scissors!?!

(for a clue, see "Buttonwillow's Secret Identity...Revealed")

Here is another reason you haven't heard much from me lately:

Susan Faye World Headquarters is moving!

Here is the story: It seems that my sweetie Dave and I had a Golden Opportunity this past autumn to buy this lovely 3 bedroom home in McMinnville, Oregon, for a song. (Okay, we had to fork over some dough too, but not very much.) Our intent was to buy it as a rental property. But the more we hung out there, the more we couldn't resist its irresistible charms such as big windows, a fireplace, and the fact that it puts us 30 minutes closer to Voodoo Doughnuts in Portland.

We decided it would be crazy not to move in, and rent out my Willamina cottage instead, keeping Dave's acreage in the Coastal Hills for recreational purposes. So for the past few months we have been refurbishing the 20-year-old home (before and after pictures will be shared in the weeks to come), have moved in our personal belongings, hosted Christmas dinner there, and now it is time to move my art supplies, craft accoutrements, shipping supplies, sewing set-up, office furniture and business belongings.

Which brings me to the HELP! portion of this blog post.

Boy do I have a lot of STUFF! I'm not going to show you pictures of all of my STUFF, for fear of winding up on an episode of "Hoarders". But suffice it to say, it is time to liquidate a lot of my STUFF, because I simply don't want to move it or try to make room for all this STUFF at the new place.

So Phase One of my STUFF liquidation is my Out-With-The-Old-To-Make-Room-For-The-New Sale in my Etsy shop. I am retiring most of my 2011 designs, and prices have been slashed 25-50% with the help of my studio assistant and her razor-sharp claws. You'll find bargain prices on pendants, earrings, sachets, bookmarks, and more at this link: Susan Faye on Etsy


Your assistance in making these items disappear will be greatly appreciated. There are lots of "little somethings" that you might tuck away for Valentines Day or Easter gifts. Down the road, I hope to start listing craft supplies, and vintage items too.

Thanks again for all of your love and support during 2011, and here's wishing a fruitful, serene and beautiful 2012 for each and every one of you.

And thank you for not turning me in to "Hoarders". I'd be so embarrassed.

Strike Up The Band...(and a big THANK YOU!)

WOO-HOO!

.....I am SO excited I can hardly stand it!!! I am at sale #999 in my Etsy Shop. Fellow Etsians will know how exciting it is to be this close to a benchmark like No. One Thousand. I am so grateful to each and every customer who has supported my creative endeavors over the past two and a half years!

I've joked a bit about my little cottage studio being "Susan Faye World Headquarters", but just over the past month I've sent my little creations off to faraway lands like Spain, Great Britain, Australia, Canada, The Netherlands, Israel, Norway, and Bermuda so I guess I'm not joking anymore!!

To celebrate this impending milestone, each of my next 20 Etsy customers will receive -absolutely free- their choice of one of the kitty lavender sachets pictured above with your order!-- (I'll contact you to find out your choice). It's a $7.50 value; one free sachet per customer.

Thanks again to each and every one of you who have supported me and my dream of being a NON-starving artist!! I am deeply GRATEFUL!

Button Button, Who's Got The Button?

Are you old enough to remember that old game from kindergarten? It's from the Dark Ages (you know, sometime before the 1960s), long before the term "choking hazard" came into being (a friend and I were just reminiscing about how notes were pinned to our shirts with straight pins in kindergarten, and we somehow made it all the way home without impaling ourselves or swallowing the pin)...

Wikipedia describes it thusly:

The children all stand (or sit) in a circle with their hands out, palms together. One child, called the leader or 'it', takes a button (usually provided by an adult) and goes around the circle, putting their hands in everybody else's hands one by one. In one person's hands they drop the button, though continue to put their hands in the others' so that no one knows where the button is except for the giver and receiver.

The leader starts the other children guessing by saying, "Button, button, who's got the button?" before each child's guess. The child guessing replies with their choice, e.g. "Billy has the button!"...Once the child with the button is finally guessed, that child is the one to distribute the button and start a new round.

Meanwhile, I've had a different kind of button on the brain. Earlier in the week, Mother Nature bestowed a nose-sniffle virus upon me (her little way of saying I need some time to relax), so I spent a lovely afternoon perusing dozens of the fascinating and beautiful blogs participating in the One World, One Heart blog hop. I became increasingly aware of the many cute sidebar buttons that many blogs feature, and I began to feel inadequate. That's right: in addition to suffering from a head cold, I had developed the dreaded blog button envy.

Now, as someone who grew up in an era where the family had one black and white TV and you had to get up out of the chair and turn a dial in order to change the 8 channels, I inevitably struggle with any new technology/internet/code/formatting task that might arise as I strive to embrace the miracles of computers and the internet.

But thanks to several different tutorials, and a feverish mind, I am thrilled beyond thrilled (you might say that my buttons are bursting, yukkity yuk) to present my brand new blog button, now showing in my sidebar!! It took MULTIPLE tries and an infusion of chocolate at some point, but here it is:

<a border="0" href="http://365catladies.blogspot.com" target="_blank"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj76kysPJ6sG7Djyl0FYFs7XCZp6GdL9_XtcdfkV_Gg_hjramUIdxTkPuBSMs5K6Qx_FF_jOu4-2d6INTkMWcrxGAGHFr-BScao5510NoNeUDC1HGb00pg8JSkC6RJFOJFLAita-Fm9HOBt/s144/BAdge%25 20Art2.jpg" /></a>

Ta-da! It's simply a miracle. I have no other way to explain it. When you click on the button, it will always lead readers to 365 Cat Ladies and Friends, as if by magic. If you are indeed proud to be a Cat Lady and enjoy this blog, and would like to add this button to your own blog's sidebar, you will need to copy the html code that is in the box, then paste it into an html widget in your blog's sidebar (On Blogger, you go to Design/Add a Gadget and pick HTML/JavaScript, where you will paste the code). I would be thrilled and honored if you choose to do so!

If you'd like to make your very own blog button, here is the tutorial that I found the most helpful if you use Blogger, as I do: Make Your Own Button. There are many other tutorials available; just Google "blog button"...

Remember, learning something new, particularly something that seems complicated, is a way to stimulate brain cells and delay the onset of senility. At least that is my fervent hope!

Thanks for visiting!
If you already have your own blog sidebar button to show off, please leave your link here in the comments!