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.