Mothers Day Mom Cat Giveaway Winner

Giving, wonderful, sacrificing, supportive, thrifty, jovial, understanding, strong, fantastic, amazing, cherished, talented, playful, and beautiful...

These are just a few of the one-word adjectives that participants used to describe their moms or mother-figures in the Mother's Day Mom Cat Giveaway.

On Sunday night one name was drawn at random and the winner is Anna, who used the word "charitable" to describe her mom. She also happens to be a mom herself, with three adorable youngsters. Congratulations Anna!

Anna says, "I am a wife and stay-at-home mother of three and a part-time photographer. I enjoy art and capturing it in all forms with my camera ... proving life is beautiful".

As the winner of the giveaway, Anna got to choose two of my new refrigerator magnets--one for herself and one for her mom. She chose the gray tuxedo mom pictured here.

"My mother is a true cat lover and will be so thrilled to receive this gift!! Throughout her life she has rescued and cared for many cats. Thank you!"

You can get to know Anna better and wish her a Happy Mothers Day at her blog Boololo; plus see examples of her beautiful photography and portraits at Boololo Photography

Thank you to everyone who participated in the giveaway!

One Happy Customer Hits the 'Nip

Thank you to Cat Lady Lisa for sharing this product testimonial from ginger kitty Soma, an 8-year-old rescued alley cat from New Jersey.

Catnip is a matter of personal taste and not the indulgence of choice for every cat, however. Lisa explains: " Soma has a brother who is almost identical to him, but you don't see Ravi in the video because he doesn't seem to notice catnip."

Soma and Ravi share their home in Indiana with Stella, a five-year-old rescue bunny. Stella is a Harlequin Rabbit-- a tricolor bunny with a particular set of markings. "Since all three of them are mostly orange and white, I like to say we have a color scheme!"

Check out Lisa's fun blog:
Happiest Vegan Alive
Each day Lisa shares a really great reason to consider a vegan lifestyle. Not ready to take the plunge yet? How about taking baby steps? Consider eating less meat or giving it up for one day a week. Although I still eat an occasional egg or dairy product, I weaned myself off of meat four years ago and I'm healthier and happier for it! I'm also convinced it's healthier for the planet, too.

Thanks for visiting!


Chock-full of intoxicating fun...You'll find catnip toys just like Soma's new best friend in my online Etsy shop:
Deluxe Catnip Toys

Have You Hugged A Teacher Today?

Illustration Friday

(theme:"lesson")

Today's lesson: May 1-7 is
PTA Teacher Appreciation Week.

Since 1984, National PTA has designated the first full week in May as PTA Teacher Appreciation Week, "a special time to honor the men and women who lend their passion and skills to educating our children. PTA events at the national, state, and local levels celebrate the outstanding contributions teachers make".

Have you hugged a teacher today?

May Day News, Mews and an Interview from World Headquarters

Happy May Day!

Buttonwillow and I picked this bouquet just for you. We sneaked up to your virtual porch, tucked it into your door handle, rang the doorbell and ran away giggling hysterically. Hope you are surprised and delighted.

My Creativity Has Been Unmasked!

Thank you to Cat Lady Laura for featuring me in a fun interview over at Creativity Unmasked, a beautiful website designed "to showcase and support creativity in all forms. Submissions are invited and comments are always welcome". Cat Lady Laura also happens to be a talented jewelry (or should I say "jewellery"--she's from Australia!) designer. To see her gorgeous work, be sure to visit her other blog, Moags and Smeet

Custom Portraits Have Returned!

I am re-introducing Custom Pet Lover Portraits in my Etsy shop! I've made a few changes to streamline my work process and hopefully avoid the dreaded "creative burn-out" that makes every artist quake in their boots (something I experienced sometime around Dec. 26 last year...). I will be offering just one size: The painting image will be 4.5" x 6.5" and will arrive in an acid-free 11" x 14" double matting (white with black inside trim), ready for framing in a standard size frame. (Note: if you are a previous customer and we've worked in other sizes, drop me a line and we'll talk).

Another change is that I will be accepting orders May through Sept 30th only in 2011, so please plan accordingly for holiday orders (for example, orders placed on Sept 30 would be complete by November 15). Average turnaround time is usually 3-4 weeks, but your portrait may take up to 6 weeks to complete, depending on the size of my waiting list. If you have a pressing deadline, I am usually able to step up my pace a bit and have it done in the 3-week range, so be sure to let me know if it is for a birthday, anniversary, etc.

See my Etsy shop Custom Portraits listings for different combinations of pets and people; if you don't see the combination you would like, please contact me and I will send a quote. I look forward to creating a one-of-a-kind keepsake for you!

Marvelous Mother's Day Giveaway Ends Tonight

Giving, wonderful, sacrificing, supportive, thrifty and jovial. These are just a few of the words that giveaway participants have used to describe their mothers or daughters. There's still time to add your own adjective for a chance to win TWO "art for your fridge" shadow box magnets of your choice (an $18.00 value)-- one for you and one for mom (or daughter)! For complete details, visit this blog post:
Mothers Day Mom Cat Giveaway

Thanks for visiting!

Post-Earth-Day Tree Hugging Opportunity!

Earth day may have come and gone, but don't despair-- you have another chance to hug a tree and raise your awareness about Mother Nature tomorrow! April 29 is National Arbor Day in the USA.

Arbor Day is a nationally-celebrated observance that encourages tree planting and care. Founded by J. Sterling Morton in 1872, it's celebrated on the last Friday in April. (Learn more here)

Here's a great way to celebrate Arbor Day, or perhaps honor your Mom or a Grad on their special day: send a free Arbor Day Foundation E-Card, or for just $5.95 send a Give-A-Tree E-card, and a tree will be planted in honor of the recipient. Click here for details: Arbor Day E-Cards

So once the royal wedding hooplah is over tomorrow, go out and walk through a forest, hug a tree, sit in a tree, or better yet, plant a tree or two or three!! Thanks for visiting!


In honor of Earth Day and Arbor Day, I've added sparkling new pendants and earrings to my Etsy shop that celebrate the beauty of Mother Nature. Choose from 9 different pendant designs-- most have coordinating earrings. Click on this link to see entire selection:
Susan Faye Jewelry on Etsy

Mothers Day Mom Cat Giveaway...Enter Today!

Just in time for Mothers Day!

Ten brand new mini dioramas which double as refrigerator magnets have just been added to my Etsy shop. Each features a proud mom cat and her kitten, enjoying the beauty of nature.


To qualify for the giveaway, just leave a one-word description about your mom, grandma, or other favorite mom figure in the Comments section below.

Giveaway ends at 7 p.m. PST on Sunday, May 1, when I will select ONE name at random; winner will receive TWO magnets of their choice (an $18.00 value)-- one for you and one for mom (or daughter)! I will ship to anywhere in the world. Comments will also be accepted at an identical post on The Hive.

Please make sure that I have a way to contact you if you are a winner, such as a link to your blog or e-mail address (you may send info directly to my email if you don't want to make your contact info public).
If you visit http://www.susanfaye.net , you will find an email link.

Also, if you encounter trouble with the Comments feature, you may send your entry directly to my email ...

[Note: As cute as kittens are, I would be remiss not to remind everyone that pet overpopulation is a serious problem. Don't delay, neuter or spay the cats in your care. There are plenty of kittens and mom cats waiting in shelters across the country, hoping to find a forever home. Petfinder.com is a great place to start if you are looking for a pet in your area.]

Thanks for participating!

Post Easter Dinner Tips From Buttonwillow

So you say you ate one too many twice-baked potatoes and sneaked an extra helping of carrot cake, and you thought you could squeeze in just one more Peeps chick and suddenly the entire box was empty? Buttonwillow has found the solution to your dilemma and is ready to help out with a few tips:

Finding the right easy chair is of paramount importance. Tip: try to look so incredibly peaceful and comfy that no human would dare have the heart to oust you.

Stretch out as far as you can so that all of the jelly beans can redistribute and fill in any unused spaces in there. Tip: an extra wiggle or two will speed up the process.

You may have to resort to the head-over-the-edge maneuver to really redistribute everything. With luck, it may stimulate a productive belch or two. Tip: Do not engage in the maneuver for more than 60 seconds or you may lose consciousness.

There, did you hear it? The perfect post-Easter dinner belch? No? Well it rattled the windows here.

Tip: Relax and enjoy the rest of your day. Love, Buttonwillow