I See The Light At the End of the Tunnel!

Thank you to all of my wonderful customers for making this my busiest holiday season ever! I'm still tying up lots of loose ends and will be playing catch-up for another week or so, then looking forward to some play time and lots of cat naps under Buttonwillow's tutelage.

IMPORTANT NOTE ON CUSTOM PORTRAITS: I am still working my way through orders for custom portraits that were received in December, but I think I actually see the faint glow of daylight at the end of the tunnel! Orders are taking a week or two longer than the normal 3-4 weeks. Don't hesitate to contact me if you have questions or concerns about an order.

Due to a backlog and other time constraints, I will not be able to take on any new orders for custom portraits at this time. If you are a return customer and we've already talked about future portraits, drop me a line and we'll work out a time frame.

I want to thank each and every one of you for your support of my creative endeavors. It means a lot to me!

Merry Christmas!

Just had to share this beautiful photo from Cat Lady Sharon of her lovely Coco enjoying the holiday! Blessings to you and yours.

photo by Cat Lady Sharon

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!!

Quick Announcement

Just a quick note to let everyone know that my Etsy shop will close on Dec. 17 and I will be taking a small break to catch my breath . Due to my current backlog of custom orders, I will not be able to take on any new custom portrait orders until after the first of the year. On other items from my shop, I can no longer guarantee Christmas delivery on items shipped first class.

Thank you to all of my wonderful customers, both old and new, for making this my busiest holiday season ever! Pass the eggnog!

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!

What's Cookin' At World Headquarters ...(And In Cat Lady Kitchens Across the Country)

It's just killing me that I can't show you the portraits that I've been working on, because they are Christmas Secrets. But who can resist a little peek under the tree, or even rattling the boxes a little? So here are just a few little peeks, but no rattling please:

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Here's what was cooking in the kitchen of cake decorator Wendy recently...Wendy wanted to create a special birthday cake for her sister Susan. It turns out that Susan's husband calls her "Groovy Cat". Wendy kindly contacted me and asked if she could reproduce my "groovy cat" artwork on a cake just for fun. I never met a Susan OR an icing-topped baked good I didn't like, so of course I said "YES!" Here is the result: a groovy flower power cake "hat" that is mod to the max!

Wendy reports: "She loved it! It was so cute, she kept opening the fridge to look at it. My husband came into the kitchen while I was working on the band around the bottom, and told me I was nuts! I have never done a cake with so much detail, just in that area." You can see more pictures at Cake Central.

By the way, in case you were wondering as I was, the cake was "Chunky Monkey": alternating layers ( 2 each) of vanilla and banana cake with chocolate butter cream and peanut butter filling. {{excuse me while I wipe the drool off my chin}} Says Wendy: "Not a scrap was left, Sue kept trying to cut around the cat, and it was the last piece standing".

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Here's what's NOT cooking in the kitchen of Cat Lady Serafima: it's a CATATO!
Yes, the little felinesque creature on the left is actually a potato that strangely resembled the cute little pottery cat on the left. A little paint and some lima bean eyes and voila! Pottery cat has a new best friend!

Serafima's native city is St. Petersburg, Russia, and she currently lives in New Jersey with her husband and kitties. She is passionate about compassion and animal rights and rescue. You can enjoy her artwork, poetry, and music at her website.

Thanks for visiting!

A Big Thank You and a Discount

I'm coming up for air to say "Hello" and to say a BIG thank you for keeping me so BUSY!!

Thank you to all of my customers old and new for your orders over the past week. The Turkey Day Etsy Coupon Code worked great (well, there were a couple hiccups, but they were easily resolved...) so here is a new one for my blog friends: Enter the coupon code THANKYOU10 at checkout and receive 10 percent off of your entire purchase from my Etsy online shop from now until Sunday, December 5th.

If the coupon code gremlins should make mischief or you forget to enter the code and wind up paying full price, never fear-- just drop me a line and I will refund the 10 percent via Paypal.

In the meantime, I'm diving back in with about 20 items to ship today, and about 20 more custom portraits to finish in the next 10 days. They are all in various stages of the process, with five that I will finish up today. For those of you waiting to see the finished pieces, I appreciate your patience--I want to give each and every one the attention it deserves but at the same time I hear the tick-tock-tick-tock of time slipping away so fast!! So I'm signing off, but before heading back to the workshop I don't want to forget...

As millions of candles are lit tonight around the world in celebration of miraculous possibilities, I'm wishing my Jewish friends a very Happy Hanukkah!!

Every Gift Has A Story

The best gift I ever received was on my 4th birthday in 1959. It was a little wooden oven that was just the perfect size for a tiny girl. My dad (a carpenter) had hand-crafted it from wood scraps out of the garage. Its surface was unpainted to show off the beauty of the wood and it had knobs that really turned, burners made out of coffee can lids, and a door that would open and close so I could put Bingo the Cat inside to "cook" him as needed (hey, I was only 4!). It was a thing of beauty and I loved touching the wood--sanded to silken smoothness, with every corner and edge rounded to perfection.

And thus began my appreciation for fine craftsmanship and things handmade...

Many years later the tradition would continue when my dad hand-crafted this exquisite Sam Maloof-inspired child-size rocking chair for my son Chris who was 1-1/2 years old at the time (he's 23 now!). Some of the wood in this chair is from an old Chinese elm tree from our family home that was cut down when I was 11!

I have the pleasure of being the keeper of the chair until Chris has a place of his own where he can display it. It is a thing of beauty and I love touching the wood--sanded to silken smoothness, with every corner and edge rounded to perfection.

Thanks Dad (and Mom too--for teaching me how to sew on Grandma's treadle sewing machine and so much more!). Today I am thankful for growing up in a Handmade Haven and proud to carry on the tradition of making things with my hands for others to enjoy!!

video courtesy of Etsy.com...

Gobble Up Your Veggies!

You may have noticed that this blog has been a wee tad neglected for the past few weeks. I'm happy to report that I am up to my elbows in lots of fun custom portraits in addition to filling orders, packing and shipping. I am SO grateful for all of my beautiful customers for their patronage and support. Pet People and Nature Lovers are the nicest people in the world!Buttonwillow After the Big Meal...

This will be my fourth meatless Thanksgiving. Many might say, "But it just wouldn't be Thanksgiving without TURKEY!" I am here to tell you that a day filled with mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, cranberries, stuffing, corn, eggnog, fresh-baked rolls, pumpkin pie, laughter, my wonderful son and other loved ones, and of course, my crazy cat, (plus the image in my head of some young tom turkey is running wild and free through a field full of daisies)-- now THAT is a day to be thankful for indeed!

If you are interested in the many benefits of eating less meat, check out this post:
Some Food For Thought

And here is a reprint of a post from last year with links to some great ideas for a meatless Thanksgiving... Have a blessed and safe day of thanks!

Cat Lady Delia and Cat Lady Tehani aren't quite ready to become full-time vegetarians, but several months ago the two friends started a Meatless Monday Supper Club. Knowing that eating less meat is healthier for their families and for the planet, once a week they get together to share recipes and enjoy a meatless meal.

Even Kittens Inky and Keoki get in on the act and enjoy a vegetarian meal each Monday, although the jury is still out on whether cats should have an entirely vegetarian diet or not...

Meatless Monday has been such a success that Delia and Tehani are now planning a Vegetarian Thanksgiving!

The Veggie Table.com has some great menu ideas and recipes for a Non-Turkey Turkey Day....and VegCooking.com has some suggestions for Faux Turkey, if you aren't quite ready to give-up the turkey tradition....

Enjoy!

Weather Report

What is the forecast in your corner of the world today? In the Pacific Northwest, Mount Hood and its fellow Cascade Range peaks are resplendent in a fresh coating of shiny snowflakes!

To celebrate, I've added 6 matted prints to my online Etsy shop featuring some lucky Cat Ladies enjoying a winter wonderland with their feline friends.

Remember, as freezing temperatures approach here in the Northern Hemisphere, outdoor cats need some special attention such as providing a warm place to sleep, and making sure that non-frozen drinking water is available. Here are more great tips from The Conscious Cat: Winter Health Tips For Your Pets

Thanks for visiting!

BRRRR...Is it getting chilly around here? These high quality reproductions of my whimsical watercolor paintings are the PURRfect gift for your favorite Snow Bunny or Feline Fanatic.

The image is 4.5" x 6.5" and comes in an acid-free 11" x 14" white on black double matting, ready for framing in a standard size frame. $12.50 each plus shipping.

Click on any image for more information.

STAY TUNED FOR AN IMPORTANT MESSAGE

That's right, kiddies, it's time to get creative over at Suzy's Artsy-Crafty Sitcom, a delightful blog with a nostalgic TV theme that features great craft tutorials, funny stories, and lots of wonderful artwork. Today is Commercial Break Thursday, where other artsy-craftsy types can link up their own online shops, blogs, or websites to promote their artsy-craftsy endeavors. It's a great promotional opportunity--each week Suzy picks one of the links and does a little featurette on that artist. Guess what? Today she picked me! [thanks, Suzy!]

Suzy is a devoted dog mom and her sitcom studio cast includes Sandy- "our crazy old lady German Shepherd. She's crotchety and sweet and only gets real active when the vacuum appears"; Faith- "our twirling tazmanian devil of a dog. Mostly due to the fact that she is half chihuahua, she perpetually has her panties in a wad"; and Ralph- "our youngest fur-child, with a brand new set of teeth, who currently owes the youngest daughter two sets of flip flops and a pair of undies...." See photos of her entire cast (including the NON-fur-babies) here: The Cast

And that's not all folks, you definitely don't want to miss Suzy's exquisite Ukrainian egg ornaments, available in her Etsy shop online:
Suzy's Artsy-Craftsy Store

Thanks for visiting!

Equal Time for Felines

Ted the Cat wants equal time.

It seems that Cat Lady Stacey has devoted much of the past few years developing a great website and weekly e-newsletter called the Woof Report. Recently re-vamped, a new and improved version has just been unveiled: THE WOOF REPORT


At the website you will find lots of great information about canines including more than 350 tips on dog care and training, an adoption directory, helpful links, a forum and a picture gallery, plus a link to sign up for the weekly newsletter. Ted and Larry the Dog (the handsome woofer pictured to the right), take great pride in their roles as office consultants.

And happily, Ted's demands for equal time have not gone unheeded. Look for "The Meow Report" early next year with the same great features, but geared toward your favorite feline (and featuring artwork from someone you might recognize!). Sign up here to receive an email to notify you when it is launched: Meow Report Notification

Thanks for visiting!

Today is World Kindness Day!

If you haven't any charity in your heart, you have the worst kind of heart trouble. ~Bob Hope

Never look down on anybody unless you're helping him up. ~Jesse Jackson

Today is World Kindness Day! You can celebrate by sending out Kindness E-cards courtesy of the Random Acts of Kindness Foundation.

The Foundation has no religious or organizational affiliations and encourages the practice of kindness in all sectors of society.

The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation is the United States delegate to the World Kindness Movement, an organization that includes various nations. People in these countries promote kindness within their countries’ borders and are creating a global network of kindness and compassion.

Being kind extends to our furry friends too. Animal lover Andrea is a perfect example:

Andrea enjoys hiking with her best friend Rio. "I found Rio, a Dingo/German Shepherd mix on the side of a freeway seven years ago. He was terrified and terribly aggressive. After working with him for about a year, he learned to love. Now he only growls when you get near his food. :)"

Thanks for visiting!

I Need Your Help with Market Research (plus a Special Offer)

What do you think?

I just had some brand new stickers made up to use on my packaging and they turned out so cute, I wanted to share them with you...Each shiny little sticker features a different fanciful feline from my "Birdbrains" collection and is 7/8" square (22mm x 22mm), with a scratchproof vinyl surface.

I'm thinking of offering these for sale in my Etsy shop. What would YOU pay for a sheet of 6 stickers? $3, $2, the change under your seat cushion?? I'd love to hear your feedback in the comments section below!

In the mean time, here's a SPECIAL OFFER for FREE STICKERS for my blog readers and Facebook friends:

This weekend only, NOV. 12, 13, and 14, receive one sheet of stickers (6 stickers) with the purchase of ANY item from my Etsy online shop: http://www.susanfaye.etsy.com/. That's right, buy two items, get two sticker sheets; 4 items; 4 sticker sheets--you get the drift! Just enter the code "Free Stickers" in the "message to seller" box when checking out. If you forget to add the code, don't despair, just send me a message...

Thanks for visiting!

Cat Lady Spotlight...Roscoe's Mom

Meet Cat Lady Nancy-- photographer, collage artist, animal lover, and one of the newest members of the Card-Carrying Crazy Cat Lady Club. Her fabulous feline Roscoe will be turning 23 years old next month.

She holds Roscoe responsible for turning her into acrazy cat lady and tells us that he was the inspiration for creating her first pet collage. Nancy tells us a little more about Roscoe:

"I rescued Roscoe from a home in Detroit (my birthplace) when his owners got a hunting dog and banished him to the basement. Just like me, he was lucky enough to wind up in Chicago, where he initially spent time perched in a window 24 floors up with a beautiful view of the city. He now lives in a condo on Chicago’s lakefront, where he can enjoy sitting on a balcony that overlooks Lake Michigan.

"People are usually shocked when I tell them how old he is... He’s still going strong and doesn’t look a day over 19!! Actually, since he’s a Persian cat and has a round face, he still looks kind of kittenish. He does have kidney disease (so, don’t despair if your senior cat is diagnosed – they can last for quite a while).He gets infusions every other day, as well as various meds, one to stimulate his appetite. He’s pretty much the same as he ever was, though skinnier with less fur. He remains beautiful and his big eyes are still golden and clear.He still likes to sprawl on my husband’s keyboard (when he’s trying to work, of course). He still meows for us to put ice in his drinking water. Unfortunately, he continues to refuse to be a lap cat, something we always joked would change when he grew old and tired.

"Here’s to my beloved Roscoe – longer may he live!!!"

Check out Nancy's fun and exotic pet photo collages in her Etsy shop Pet Collage Paradise (she will even create custom collages featuring your own pet)! The photographic elements in her work are hand cut and pasted. She incorporates words, found objects, specialty papers, feathers, fabric, silk flowers, beads, and gemstones into her creations.

...BY POPULAR DEMAND and now in my Etsy shop: You may now purchase Personalized Cat Lady I.D. cards individually without the"kit" (the kit includes a pinback button, Creed and Guidelines). That means a lower price and less postage! Plus, $1 will still be donated to the Oregon Humane Society for each card purchased (almost $100 has been donated so far....). Great gift idea for every Crazy Cat Lady on your list. Click here for details:

CARD ONLY

CRAZY CAT LADY KIT

What's Cookin' At World Headquarters this week...

Here's what's cookin' this week: Buttonwillow's tail feathers. She has set up camp in front of the heater, after waiting all summer for it to magically come back on. There's definitely a new chill in the air this week.

The sun room is not so sunny now, but I snapped this picture of my pretty glass baubles in the front window when a few rays were shining through. The blue orb (behind the blue-plate-wind-chimes) was a birthday treat several years ago. Over on the Oregon coast is a glass studio where you can actually make your own blown-glass ornament (with the total guidance and support of an expert!). What an amazing process...I LOVE glass.

As for me, I am a tad bleary-eyed and elbow deep in some really fun custom portrait orders. I can't wait to share them with you, but because most of them are Christmas secrets, I'll have to keep them under wraps for now...


GENTLE REMINDER:
The holiday deadline for placing orders for custom portraits is drawing near. November 15 is the last day I will be accepting custom orders for items that must arrive in time for Christmas. Due to my backlog, orders are currently taking 3-4 weeks to complete, plus they can take up to 7 days to arrive once they are mailed (longer, if you are outside of the U.S.) Click here to see what's available; if you don't see the combination/size/option that you'd like, please contact me: CUSTOM PORTRAITS


A big thank you to everyone who has visited my Birthday Fund for the Nature Conservancy! I am in the midst of posting 55 reasons to take care of Mother Earth through my photos and artwork. I'm up to Reason No. 20. Click here to see all 20 images posted so far: 55 Reasons

A big hearty thank you to everyone who has donated to the fund! It means so much to me. I'm almost halfway to my goal of raising $550.00 for conservation projects. Your gift of any size is greatly appreciated.

Thanks for visiting!

All Hallow's Eve

Pumpkin Time is here.
Buttonwillow is ready for Halloween in her black mask and cape,
dreaming up tricks and hoping for treats.

Her trick is to stare at the ceiling to make you think that something is up there...a nutty squirrel, perhaps? Or maybe a broom-toting Cat Lady cackler with a pointy hat...

And now for the treats. Are they in here?

No? Not to worry. Her new friend Jacko Lantern will help her find those treats. She likes that he has teeth almost as sharp and pointy as hers. And how can you resist those eyes? {{ Mwa-ha-haaaaa }}

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Special Halloween offer for my readers: Receive this mini print of "Garden Fairy No. 4"" FREE with ANY purchase from my Etsy online shop. Enter the code "enchanted" in the "message to seller" box when checking out and receive a 4" x 6" print of this print, suitable for framing. Offer ends October 31 at midnight. Click here to see my entire line of jewelry, art, and handcrafted gifts:

My Etsy Shop