Bitten By a Bug

If I seem to be a bit preoccupied and unattentive lately (ask Buttonwillow--she's threatening to turn me in to the ASPCA for wrongful neglect) , it is because I've been bitten by a bug.

The dreaded Doll Bug.

Actually, I was first bit by the bug decades ago, when I received a Tiny Tears doll at birth. Her rubber body and chippable hard plastic head with molded hair did not survive the hundreds of "feedings" (she could drink real water from her little bottle), baths (the perfect bubble bath companion), diaper changes (she could "wet") and squeezings (if you squeezed her hard enough, she was supposed to cry real tears, but this feature never seemed to work... who wants a crybaby anyway?). By the time I was 5, Tiny Tears was de-tear-iorating.

Lucky for me, when I was 5, Santa brought me my new love, a Sweet Sue doll; then an auburn-haired Swirl Ponytail Barbie doll would follow several years later.

In the fifth grade I graduated to Dam Troll Dolls, Wish-niks, and Little Kiddles--I was totally enthralled by their imaginative wardrobes and detailed miniature accessories. My brother and sister and I created "Troll Town" in the dirt section of our backyard, and the Southern California adobe made fantastic mud homes, complete with mountains, rivers, streets and swimming pools where our troll dolls and Kiddles could enjoy "the good life".

I could go on. But let's fast forward to the recent "bug bite". When I started selling my art on Etsy.com, I began to drool over the many art dolls I was seeing, including those of Snippet Girl/Cat Lady Carrie. Here is the fantastic art doll sculpture that I commissioned from her as a remembrance of my dear departed Melissa Mittens (Melissa was a champion mouser). It is a treasure!

So one thing led to another, and once I discovered that I could have my watercolor artwork printed onto fabric, the cogs and wheels began to turn and the doll bug bit once again.

Most of the beautiful art dolls I had seen were either painted fabric or painted paperclay, and decorated with opaque acrylic paints. I wanted to make dolls that looked more like my watercolor artwork, with light and airy translucent colors. Digitally printing my artwork onto fabric was the answer!

After months of tinkering, here is a prototype doll that I came up with (you will notice that she is also a Cat Lady):

And -TA-DA -here is the finished product-- my very first dolly in a line of Garden Fairy dolls that I am working on:

Watch for my next post where I will give her a proper introduction. In the mean time, please excuse me-- I'm off to go play with my dollies! Just try and stop me.

Help Me Choose A New Sewing Machine, plus A Sneak Peek

At age 60 my vintage Necchi sewing machine (the Italian version of Singer) has announced that she is ready to retire.

I originally bought her from a sewing machine repair shop 30 years ago (yes, I was 7 at the time--ha!). The original owner in 1951 was a Mrs. Buster of Sacramento, as her name is neatly penciled into the instruction manual.

Old Necchi, as I affectionately call her, has been a workhorse--solidly built with METAL everything (not a plastic part to be found) . But lately she's been screeching and groaning and says she wants to drink pina coladas on a sandy beach somewhere instead of working so hard.

HELP ME! In the 30 years since I last purchased a sewing machine, things have changed a tad. HAVE YOU SEEN what SEWING MACHINES can DO now?

I just need something basic, that is durable and reliable, and not TOO complicated and for under $300 if possible. Any suggestions? Singer, White, Brother, other? I'd appreciate any suggestions or recommendations you might have--please leave them in the comments section.


In the mean time, here is a sneak peek at what Old Necchi and I have been up to lately. This little prototype will give you a clue as to what my new artistic obsession is and why I've been a little preoccupied. More about that later...

Thanks for visiting!

Make EVERY Day Spay Day USA

Don't delay--neuter or spay! Don't wind up like this Cat Lady who delayed having her she-kitty spayed. These kittens will be adorable for a few weeks until it's time to find homes for them. And, if they in turn are not neutered or spayed, the problem becomes exponential .

Yesterday was Spay Day USA sponsored by the Humane Society of the United States ; a day to raise awareness about pet overpopulation and to help you become a part of the solution. Spay Day may be over, but there is still time (2 days) to enter your pet's photo in their photo contest. And there are still 364 days to take action!

Four million cats and dogs—about one every eight seconds—are put down in U.S. shelters each year. Spay/neuter is the only permanent, 100-percent effective method of birth control for dogs and cats and a proven way to reduce the vast numbers of animals who are born only to die prematurely and without a family who loves them. Learn more about why you should spay or neuter your pet.

Visit the Humane Society website today to learn about local events, low-cost spay clinics, trap-neuter-release programs for feral cats, and other great information.

Thanks for visiting!

Sow Kindness, Reap Joy, Count Birds

The Great Backyard Bird Count has come to a close and Ana Marie has turned in her lists.

Her two helpers, garden cats Mario and Bella were on their good behavior and did their very best not to frighten off any of their feathered friends...

Ana Marie's favorites: the Red-Winged Blackbird

and the Steller's Jay.

Mario couldn't decide which he liked better: the tiny chestnut-backed chickadee......or the beautiful tree swallows with their iridescent blue feathers.


Bellas 's favorite to watch was the flashy Spotted Towhee...

All in all, it was a glorious weekend for bird watching. To find out the results of the count, visit this link: 2011 GBBC

"Sow Kindness Reap Joy"...This brand new 8 x 10 print is now available in my Etsy online shop, along with several others. To see the whole selection visit this link: Susan Faye Art Prints

Cat Ladies In The News

Customer appreciation photo: Junior Feline-Fella-In-Training Jonas helps to arrange Grandma Carm's 'fridge art-- "The magnets are great for small muscle coordination!" says Carm. The magnets feature the custom portraits of Carm's 8GR8Cats and her sister's cat family. You can see lots more of Jonas and his favorite kitties on Grandma's blog.
CCL Carm also received great news last week: I Can Has Cheezburger just wrapped up their first ever lolcat daily calendar for 2012 and Carm's kitten photo of Pride from The Itteh Bitteh Book of Kittehs was included! It's scheduled for a July 15th, 2011 release. Congratulations Carm!!
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The Terrific Two Turn Two! Many Happy Returns to birthday girrrrrls Keely and Fiona. Look closely and you'll see a candle in the shape of a 2 on their birthday treat, courtesy of Cat Mom Alison (CCL #333).

One of the honored guests in attendance at the birthday bash was Feline Fella Colin (brother to Cat Lady Alison).

Alison reports: "Keely simply has to be in Colin's arms- she is totally in love with him... They have a morning ritual and a coming home from work one. She is all over him and sits in his lap and nips at him and spins around and rubs against his face and repeat, repeat."

Thanks for visiting!

Drumroll Please...

One World One Heart has come to an end, and with the help of a random number generator, three winners have been chosen for my giveaway.

Thank you to the hundreds of blog writers and readers who visited my blog and left such heart-warming comments!

Without further ado:

The winner of Prize Package No. 1





is the crafty Heidi, aka "Digital Misfit" of Canada whose blog is My Hiding Place In Cyberspace. She enjoys "everything from doll making to mixed media art, hand embroidery to polymer clay. I love it all! This year I plan to take up crochet (I am DETERMINED to learn) , purse making, and small scale quilting. My current main crafts include felt, embroidery and embroidery design, and painting."


The winner of Prize Package No. 2






is Cat Lady and mixed media artist Janine of Germany who loves "art, nature, magic and scurrilities. I like to paint, sew and to do handicrafts." You can see many examples of her handiwork at her bi-lingual blog Join Janine


The winner of Prize No. 3:


is Cherry of Georgia. Her blog is The Thoughts of Cherry Jane. A happy memory that she shares is "sitting out on the old wooden front porch of my Grandfather's house and listening to his Kentucky influenced, Georgia Blue Grass, Back Mountain Baptist, Hoedown Revival Banjo playing and Back yard singing".

Congratulations to all and thanks for participating!!

Furry Friends and Feathered Friends: the Face-Off

Garden Keeper Ana Marie has the bird feeders filled and binoculars dusted off, but she's not quite ready for the Great Backyard Bird Count, which starts tomorrow.

It seems she is also a Cat Lady and has some furry friends who yearn to interact with her feathered friends.

Meet Mario, aspiring jungle beast, who likes to lurk in the potted plant foliage and carefully study any winged wonders that might flutter by...

A beautiful bluebird has caught his eye today; ooooo, just look at that striking red chest! Mario doesn't know what has come over him but he feels compelled to crouch, and his stripey behind wiggles ever-so slightly in excitement...

But Ana Marie is ready. Armed with her garden hose, a gentle shower is directed at Mario's head. In shock and disbelief, he quickly retreats to a sunny spot on the porch to admire the bluebird from afar while meticulously licking that nasty wet stuff from of his beautiful stripes .

Here are some more things that Ana Marie will do to keep her garden birds and her garden cats safely apart:
-Keep cats indoors as much as possible, especially during times when bird activity is high--especially in the mornings and late afternoons when they feed.

-Put collars with jingle bells on the cats.

-Keep bird feeders high (higher than a cat could jump) and buy feeders that prevent spillage on the ground. Do not place feeders near bushes or other hiding places where predators might lurk.

The My Pet Health Guide has more details on how cat-proof your bird feeders at this link: Stop Stalking at the Bird Feeder

Thanks for visiting!


New in my Etsy shop! Wearable art glass pendants featuring a garden bird, Mario, and Ana Marie. Click image to see my entire jewelry collection, including these new pieces...