Strawberry

Thought I'd share some cute pics of my ol' boy, Strawberry. I'm not sure of his exact birthday, but he is getting close to 14 years old! Now that he has had all his teeth but 4 pulled, he is feeling good. In some ways it seems so long since I brought him home...but then again it doesn't seem like that long ago that he was a tiny kitten! That was wayyyy back when I only had one other cat, Mr. Spock. I wanted a friend for Mr. Spock and saw an ad for free kittens. I went to a barn in Guntersville to pick one out and I just fell in love with Strawberry and his cute gray patch on his nose. No one was home, they told me to just take one, so I was there quite a while trying to get him to come out. What a great friend he has be to us!! He has this piece of elastic he found in my sewing stuff that he carries around. I tied it in a few knots so it is easy to carry. He'll bring it to me, meowing along the way and drop it at my feet. I throw it, he fetches it. Usually he won't bring it all the way back, but he does love to chase it! And when he wants attention (I'm on the phone, reading, taking a bath...) he will bring it to me and cry to get my attention.

This is him posing with his piece of elastic. Oh...and he gets sad if we can't find it. It has gotten covered up with fabric or something before and that's not good. He misses it...kind of like a security blanket, I guess!!

 

 

Kitty News

There is a story behind this picture that makes it even funnier. Mr. Spock had been sleeping on this box of stuffing for about a week. My husband walked in my room and saw Pumpkin lying on it and said, "aw...Mr. Spock lost his spot." I told him not to worry, if Mr. Spock wanted it, he'd get it back. Later in the day I walked in my room and saw this! LOL! Mr. Spock DID get his spot back, but he kind of had to share it with Pumpkin after all!! This isnt' the first time I've caught Pumpkin sleeping this way with the other kitties either. He's just a snuggly kind of kitty, I guess!

The other night I couldn't sleep so I made some spicy pickled peaches. I don't eat this kind of stuff so I gave them to Daddy and he liked them. I mostly wanted to make them because they look pretty in the jar. ha!I guess that's the reason I like to make jelly, salsa, etc....I love the way it looks after its made!

I'm planning a trip to Chattanooga this weekend--I will be at Chattanooga Market in booth H-26 (if nothing changes). If you're in the area, look for me there. I'm excited to check out the farmer's market. I just hope I can get a chance to get away from my booth and do a little shopping myself!!

Halloween Party

 I know...its been too long since I posted! (I know, because some of you have told me so. lol!!) I've been getting ready for some shows and haven't gotten around to blogging. But I DO have lots of pictures to share with you! First of all....the Halloween party! We had so much fun, almost as much getting ready for it as we did at the actual party! I drug so much food, decorations, etc to Momma's that it took me & Tyler (my nephew) all afternoon to get everything set up. We play a game we call "fear factor". We come up with foods that look like something disgusting and the kids have to eat them. They were tough this year and we didn't have just one winner. Guess we will have to get a little more disgusting next year!! Below are pictures from the party....enjoy! More cat news tomorrow, I promise! :)

 

 
  
  
 
 

I could never find any good "eyeball" recipes so I came up with my own! I bought canned pears and used a melon baller to scoop them into round shapes. With a paring knife, I carved a little hole just the right size for a blueberry (fresh or frozen). I put a little strawberry jam in the middle, put the blueberry in the hole and poked a toothpick through it. For the "blood", mix grape jelly and red food coloring and enough water to thin in just a little and pour around the eyeballs. These actually taste good and the fruit is good for you!

Bartelby

My newest project in the Holiday Issue of Create & Decorate magazine. (This is the pic from the magazine--they do such a great job!) You can buy Bartelby at www.fullmoonfolkart.com but there's only one, so hurry on over! Or if you want to make him, go to www.thecatspyjamaspatterns.com to buy the pattern.

Rusty in action

Rusty and Strawberry are both recovering nicely from getting their teeth pulled! Here's Rusty feeling good and playing. I thought these pics were so funny--he looks pretty vicious when he plays! ha ha! Strawberry is feeling so good now...he has been playing more now too. And he only has FOUR teeth left!

Today I'm listing some of the jewelry I made from vintage/antique jewelry. I'm trying to come up with a name for that that category. Any ideas? I like "salvage" in the title...Check www.tcpstyle.com in a bit to see the new stuff.

Did I mention I will be in Dalton, GA on Oct. 1 from 5-8? I will be at Kellie Smith Design Studio. Here's her site, there should be directions there. Hope some of you can drop by!

Kellie Smith Design Studio

More pics of Rusty in Action....

  

Strawberry on his way home...

Today's the the day....Strawberry went to have his teeth pulled today! Now they are all gone, except his canines. I know he'll be sore, but he'll feel so much better now that they are gone. I checked on him at lunchtime and the surgery went well with no complications. (Whew!) I'm headed to the vet's office to pick him up. I'm so glad to have this over with! I'm taking Mr. Spock for a checkup. He's almost 15, so he needs them more often. Strawberry is getting close to 14!

I will never get tired of looking at his sweet face. Ever since the first time I saw him peeking from under that barn at me, I thought he was adorable!!

I have still been listing stuff like crazy! I listed a WHOLE BUNCH of Halloween jewelry at www.tcpstyle.com and lots of Halloween goodies at www.fullmoonfolkart.com

Now I have to go pick up Strawberry and will probably spend the evening watching over him like a hawk. ha!  

CJ

C.J. says, "Hello" to you all! He's breaking in the new cushions on the wicker chairs for the winter!!

A Little Help from my Friends...

I had a little help from my friend, Strawberry, when I was painting my Halloween chair. Pretty cute, huh? I just painted around him as long as I could. He was too cute, I just hated to disturb him! 

Spoiled Rotten

This is Hadley, getting a good head scratching from my husband. She is so spoiled! She loves to be carried around, follows me around while I do laundry, clean or whatever I'm doing around the house. And she's always so happy when I get up in the mornings, greets me with her sweet little meow as soon as I see her. Now I'm glad the guy didn't want to take her back. He didn't know what he was missing! :) Pumpkin agrees, I'm sure....he loves having her around.

Check out my new Halloween chair....I'll be taking it the show in Dalton, GA but will have it for sale on my site until then. It will cost extra for shipping, or if you are local, I can deliver it or arrange to meet you. If you are near Dalton, you could pick it up at the show, which is the first Friday in October. I'll post more info soon. Chair is listed at www.fullmoonfolkart.com and www.thecatspyjamas.com

Fall is in the Air!

I love the cooler weather...so do the kitties. This is Luke--he's getting fattened up for the winter, I guess. LOL! Its been several months since he was neutered and he has been growing (wider) ever since. But doesn't he look sweet and cuddly this way? I've got my pumpkin ready for the porch and a few other decorations to put out pretty soon. I try to wait until October, but sometimes I just can't wait that long!! I listed some new Halloween paintings on my site this week. Here's one of my favorites....a spooky cemetary scene. If you want to buy, click here to find it on my site. Would love to hear your thoughts on my new Halloween art too!

Barry the Bat

Check out Barry the Bat...he's in the October issue of Create & Decorate magazine. He's a favorite of mine! I hate to part with him, but I can't keep them all, so he is listed on my site here. Or if you want to make him yourself, go to www.thecatspyjamaspatterns.com where you can buy the pattern. Its not long until Halloween (yippee!!), so y'all better get busy making those bats, jack-o-lanterns, etc! I've already been digging around in the closet for my Halloween decorations today. Can't wait!!

I went to First Monday trade day yesterday...I was trying to be good and not buy too much "stuff". I found these 5 mother of pearl belt buckles and couldn't pass them up, but that's all I came home with! I saw more stuff I wanted, but have been trying not to buy too much before I have my studio done and have a little more room to store/display my stuff.

Art Sunday

Had a great time at Art Sunday yesterday! Bruce at Talk of the Town provided the tent for artists that display at his shop, so that was REALLY nice! All I had to do was set up my tables and put out my stuff. It was a good show with lots of people. Its just down the road from my house so I saw lots of people I knew. I'll look forward to doing the show again next year! Below are more pics from the show....enjoy! I'm trying to get all my new Halloween stuff listed on my sites, but if you see something you've just gotta have and can't find it on my site, email me and I'll get to it as soon as possible. Have a great day!!

 
 
 
 
 
 

Kitty drama!

Hadley gave me a little scare this week. I had her spayed a little over a week ago and she had this huge knot pop up at her incision. I was afraid she had a hernia and would have to have surgery again. But I took her in yesterday and its just a "fluid pocket" and will go away. Whew! I didn't want her to have to go through surgery again now. She's still as hyper as ever!

Rusty had SEVEN teeth pulled last Monday! He has stomatitis and had already had 4 pulled a few months ago. The vet thought he'd have to have all pulled but his 2 bottom canines, but he didn't have to have that many pulled. He did have to have one canine pulled. I felt so bad for him, but he got over it in a hurry and got back to eating that same day. He weighs 17 lbs, so apparently not much hurts his appetite!

I am working on new dolls to take to Art Sunday next month. I'm looking forward to it, but I hope it cools down a lot by then! I do have new jewelry at Talk of the Town in Scottsboro and will have new jewelry at Art Sunday too. Come see me there!!

No Excuses

I wish I had a good excuse for taking so long between posts! I've just been busy and my blog got put on the back burner. Shame on me! Its not like I don't have anything to tell. Its just getting around to doing it!

I got my new issue of Create & Decorate today and my Barry the Bat pattern is in there. After looking at the October issue, I am REALLY wanting fall to get here. Not to mention that we're having temps over 100 here. I was out at 10 this morning, thinking I would beat the heat and it was already 95 degrees. Whew!!

Little Hadley is growing like a weed. I just looked back at some of the pictures of her on my blog and can't believe how much she has changed. Its kind of funny I was talking about finding her a good home. Some of you that know me probably knew she'd end up staying. She is such fun and Pumpkin really loves playing with her. A few nights ago Pumpkin kept crying while we were eating dinner and I couldn't figure out why. Then I realized Hadley was locked in the bedroom. I let her out and Pumpkin was fine! Hadley goes to the vet on Friday to be spayed. I hate leaving them for surgery, but will be so glad when its over and behind us!

I thought I was through with shows for the year, but I will be at Art Sunday in Scottsboro, AL next month. If you're in the neighborhood, look for me at the Talk of the Town tent! 

Hangin' with Poncho

I've been pretty busy with graphics & cats lately! Poncho is one of the new strays that I recently got neutered. I thought he was feral, but it turns out he is a sweetheart! He finally let me near him a few weeks ago, then I got him fixed. He was so scared at the vet and I really felt sorry for him! I had to keep him in a kennel overnight and he was so upset. But he was back within a few days and has been putting on weight and getting more comfortable around me every day. Now he'll climb in my lap and follow me around like a little puppy dog. He pats me on the ankles if I'm not petting him and meows at me constantly. He must really have a lot to say!! The other kitty I got fixed has a new home just across the road from my studio, so I get to see him every day still. He spends most of his time indoors, but does get to come out and visit.

I am getting together with my family today--we're going out to eat and to Crow Mountain orchard. Should be fun and I know I'll come home with way too much fruit and will probably be busy all weekend canning and freezing. It will be worth it when the winter gets here and I'm eating a buttermilk biscuit just out of the oven with some peach preserves I made myself! If anyone has good jelly, jam or preserves recipes, I'd like to hear them! I think they now have peaches, apples, blackberries & plums, maybe nectarines. Mmmmm...I can't wait!

My studio is coming along....we built a small closet on the back of the house connected to the back bedroom. This is where my hubby's music room will be and the closet will be for storage. (So he can get his stuff out of my way. ha!!) The closet is painted and the bedroom primed. I'll pick up more primer and paint today and we'll probably have it painted by the weekend and ready for flooring. (I saw "we", but my husband has done all the painting in this room!) Can't wait to get started on the last 2 rooms of my studio so I can officially move in and start creating here!!

Hadley in action

This is supposed to be for sharpening claws, but she had other ideas!

Hadley is starting to fit in!

Finally...I think the kitties are getting used to her! As you can see in the picture, Pumpkin wasn't too sure about her, but yesterday they played for the longest time. I knew once he got used to her, he'd love playing with her. Bilbo plays with her a little, the rest aren't so interested, but at least they stopped hissing every time she got near. I had forgotten how much energy kittens have--she is on the move most of the time!!

I got a lot of work done in the yard yesterday. I moved around several plants and built a brick border around a couple of beds. I am attempting to grow blueberries again...the ones I planted before were small, so maybe the larger ones will have a better chance. I have spots picked out for more blueberry bushes, just have to get to Home Depot to get a couple more.

I am still trying to get new things listed on my site. I listed some old quilts, used patterns and vintage patterns. The easiest way to see the newest stuff is to click on the "new arrivals" category. I still have several more patterns to list and some old flower frogs. Hoping I'll get all that on today!

CJ's new sleeping spot

Have you ever noticed that nearly every picture I have of CJ is in this ol' white wicker chair? He LOVES to sleep there. For a while he slept in a kennel on the front porch. I set it out there after I brought it out of the house and he decided to sleep in it. I felt bad to take it away....I needed it for another cat, so after I took it off the porch, he moved back to the same wicker chair again! But for some reason, he decided to move to the bird bath now. That chair has been "his spot" for so long, it seems strange to see him there! I'm sure he'll be back to the chair before long, but for now he sure looks pretty in the bird bath!

I am working on listing some vintage patterns today--some old sewing patterns, craft patterns, doll patterns, etc. Click here to see them....really good prices on them! Its hard for me to let some of these go, but I have to be honest with myself. I will probably never get around to using them. I don't won't to end up being on that show, Hoarders!! Oh, I DID get rid of something big today. I bought a set of french doors over 10 years ago. Well, I thought they were a set, but when we got them out, they didn't even match. Someone came to look and thought they were too much work. So I GAVE them away. I was pretty proud of myself, but I do like to see things be recycled and used instead of being thrown away. Maybe this will inspire me to clean out more. I've been using Craigslist to give away and sell stuff. My husband installs carpet and takes up lots that is in good shape, so I've been putting it on Craigslist when he puts it at the road. Someone is out there right now getting some carpet! I'm trying my best to "go green"!!

Twinkle Twinkle Little Star....

My nephew, Jack, is learning to sing! I was shocked when I went to visit him and he was walking around singing Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star. It is the cutest thing!

I've been busy listing some supplies on my site. Click here to see all the new stuff. I have some really cool old quilts. Its really hard for me to part with them....I got out 4 to photograph and only decided to keep one, so I thought that wasn't too bad! I also found some old octagon soap coupons that I'm working on listing now. There's no telling what else I might find while I'm trying to clean out my studio! It is packed and I need room to work on it....so I'll be listing more soon, I hope.

The new little kitty is keeping me busy...she is definitely happy and healthy. She plays constantly, rarely sits still more than 30 seconds when I'm in the room. I'm glad she's happy, but I would like for her to stop and sit in my lap for a while! I am thinking of naming her Hadley....any opinions? Does she look like a Hadley?

How is your garden??

I didn't plant a big garden this year, but I did have to plant some tomatoes! I ordered some of those upside down planters for some tomatoes. (Here's Dill standing on the compost bin to check them out...) I got some that have water reservoirs in the top and both the plants are huge and have lots of green tomatoes on them. I planted 2 in those planters, 1 in the ground and 2 cherry tomato plants in a whiskey barrel planter. (one red, one yellow) I bought some cucumbers and squash to plant today and that's about the extent of my vegetables this year. But I have planted lots of bushes, flowers and FINALLY got a crape myrtle planted! We're planning to plant some trees at the edge of the yard in my studio for privacy. I want to concentrate on remodeling my studio, but it is so tempting to work in the yard in this weather!!

The new little kitty went to the vet yesterday and got a clean bill of health. I kept her separated from the other kitties just to be on the safe side. So they got to meet her yesterday and they were not happy about it. Pumpkin is pretty mad at me and doesn't even want me to pick him up. I hope he's over it soon!! :)

Been a long time...

...since I posted! I was busy with my show and then taking care of cats!! Had a good time at the show in Dunwoody, GA and met lots of nice people.

The day before yesterday, I saw a little tiny kitten across the road. My neighbor & I tried to catch it until it started to rain & lightning. The next day (yesterday) it was on another neighbor's tire and I finally was able to catch her. Now I just need to find her a home! She's really sweet & fun and likes to snuggle! I'll have a hard time parting with her, but maybe she'll find a good home soon.

I've had 2 cats that were shot recently....I think I wrote about Luke having a pellet removed from his leg. Another black kitty came up and had been shot with a BB. I took him to have that removed and get him neutered. He stayed a few days before his surgery because he had a fever. We named him Yoda because he's got huge ears that stick out to the side. Sounds funny, but its really cute! He has a new home with my cousin. I dropped him off last weekend and he seemed happy I guess he loves the kids--I miss him sititng in my lap every morning but happy he has a home where he'll get lots of attention.

Rusty had to have FOUR teeth pulled last week, so I've been dealing with that too, plus a couple of sick strays that I trying to sneak antibiotics to. I have lots of new stuff left from my show that I'll either list on my website or take to Talk of the Town. (Or both!)

Keeper of the Garden project

Here's my new pattern in Create & Decorate magazine, Keeper of the Garden!  As always, they did a great job with the photos. Wish they could come here and photograph all my projects for me!!

Check out my website for brand new patterns too....I started adding some HALLOWEEN patterns today!

I don't think I've shared any good kitty pics in a while....this is a pic of Sookie a while back, not long after I rescued her from that buggy in Wal-mart parking lot! She's doing well and put on a lot of weight. (Not that she was that skinny before anyway!) She really prefers to stay outside unless I'm going to let her sleep in the bedroom at night!

I took Luke to get him fixed last week and they found out he had been shot with a pellet gun. I had no idea--poor guy! He has a staple in his hip and I hope he comes around in the next few days so I can take him to get it out. Right now he's still a little scared and only comes around every couple of days and always at night. At least the vet says its okay if he doesn't get to come back....he's still skinny. Can't wait to see him start putting on some weight too!

I've been BUSY, BUSY, BUSY creating new stuff for my show, so haven't had much time to blog! I wanted to take a few minutes to share a cute picture my sister too of Jackson & Rocko. They sure do look like they are enjoying strolling in the warm weather!