Counting Blessings

Last week I posed the question: "what if you had to choose 5 blessings to fit on a tiny pendant?" in the blog post Gifts and Blessings

What would they be?
Here are some of the responses:

family,
friends,
cats,
dogs,
furbabies,
health,
wide open spaces,
exciting destinations
a warm house,
great art supplies,
mother nature's beauty,
sunshine,
contentment
Courage,
Patience,
Love,
Strength
Faith
chocolate
quilting,
books,
a cold beer on a hot day.

It was no surprise that "loved ones" of all kinds - friends, family and furbabies - topped each list. Thank you to everyone who shared their lists here, on Facebook, and on The Hive!

Speaking of counting blessings, meet Rhonda Rabbit. She is the 14th child of 23 siblings, so she has a LOT of blessings to count. The 5 blessings she would choose are:

Her family
Her friends
Her posy patch
pink hearts
Her sweetheart Lorenzo

She has been working on some very special Valentines with a very special message for all of her loved ones. Here is what they look like:

She hopes you like them!



Rhonda's valentine art is available as a print in my Etsy shop, and as a card (blank inside) in my Cafepress shop. Enjoy!

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!

Another Happy Christmas Surprise

Thank you to Cat Lady Mia for sending in this photo of a Happy Christmas surprise that I had the privilege of collaborating on. The surprise was for Feline Fella Les who is 6'4" and sometimes called "Big Daddy", and involved a portrait of Les and a pretty black cat named Birdie.

On Christmas morning, there was a special letter that accompanied the gift:

Dear Big Daddy,
This year for Christmas I wanted to get you a present that would be everlasting; a little something for you to remember me by. But most of all, a way to thank you for saving me that day 11 years ago and making me part of your family. You give me love like no other, you make a nice warm bed buddy, feed me peanut butter when I give you bug eyes, and let me climb on the tippity top of your shoulders. I hope you like it, we sure look good!

Love,
your girl,
Birdie Lou

It seems that 11 years earlier Les was responsible for rescuing a little lost black cat from the golf course where he worked. "Birdie" became her new name and she soon had the special honor of being an engagement present when Les proposed to his sweetheart Mia. ("I did get a ring to go along with her," Mia adds). Birdie now shares her home with two other cats: Bogey and Tux.

Says Mia, "I am so grateful to have found a loving husband who happens to also love cats, and I enjoy our life with all three cats in it. Birdie is our first one so I think she will always hold that special place. ... I can only hope she stays around for many more years."

Thanks for visiting!

Resolute about Resolutions...Illustration Friday

Illustration Friday

(theme:"resolutions")

copyright 2011 Susan Faye

Knitter Lilly was not one to make New Years Resolutions, however, with the gentle encouragement of her husband Lou, she made an exception this year and resolved to not buy any new yarn until her stash was below whisker level. Lou heartily approved.

What resolutions are YOU resolute about this year?
Thanks for visiting!!

Out With The Old to Make Room For The New...plus a Sneak Peek

It's a brand new year! January is always a great time for me to recharge my batteries. As I am finishing up projects and loose ends from December, the creative cogs are already turning and I've got DOZENS of new ideas bubbling up. Actually, I started thinking about spring sometime last September believe it or not, and here is a little sneak peek at ideas I started working on months ago:

BUT, in order to make room for all of these new ideas, it's time for some housecleaning. No, that doesn't mean I'm getting out the Dustbuster or washing windows (don't be ridiculous!). It means OUT WITH THE OLD in my Etsy shop to make room for the NEW for 2011. I've reduced prices on dozens of items which you can find at this link: Etsy Sale

AND and to further sweeten the pot, use the code CLTY11 when checking out to receive 11 percent off of your ENTIRE purchase from my Etsy shop, including sale items!. (If you forget to add the code, don't panic, just send me a message and I'll send your discount in the form of a Paypal refund.)

Now if I could only get Buttonwillow to put that fluffy tail to use and do some dusting around here...

Thanks for visiting!

Gifts and Blessings...What Would YOUR Pendant Say?

It's so much fun to collaborate on a special Christmas surprise for someone. When Carol wrote and asked me to paint a portrait of her daughter Tiffiny and canine cutie Ralph, she asked if I could include a small hand-crafted metal pendant in the painting.

Last week Tiffiny wrote a lovely note telling me how much she enjoyed her special Christmas surprise. And--it turns out that the pendant in the portrait was a special Christmas surprise from two years ago!

Carol had commissioned the pendant from a fellow Etsy artist and had it personalized to say:

"Family,
friends,
work,
frequent flier miles,
road trips...
I'm so blessed"

and Tiffiny says "that's a good sum up of how I feel." And special friend Ralph? "I got him out in front of a Ralphs grocery store, where a kid was giving away puppies...he was about 3 months old. Ralph is now 12-13 years old. He's really such a smart, friendly, well behaved dog. He really enjoys being a cooperative part of the 'pack'. One of his very long-time best friends is a calico cat named Catty Colors. The one thing about Ralph that is very unique is the way he wags his tail in a big circle..not back and forth. I really need to get it on video."

Question: if YOU had to fit 5 blessings onto a tiny pendant, what would they be? Let us know in the Comments section of this post and I will share some of them in future posts.

Thanks for visiting!

Carol and Tiffiny are both Power Sellers on ebay and sell trims, appliques and embellishments for sewing/crafting and some antiques too. Be sure to check out their treasures at these links: Junklady1 and SugarSpunSis

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!

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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

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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