Mother's Day Mama & Kitten Plush Kitties

It's almost Mother's day! 

If your mom is a cat lover, she will love this sweet pair of kitties!

And here's an original watercolor pencil kitty card to go with it!

Or how about a trio of kitties?

Also a great gift for birthdays and new moms!

Available in my Catcalls shop along with lots of other gifts for cat lovers! 

Mews & Purrs!

New Red, White, and Blue Art and Clothing!

I've been on the red, white, and blue kick lately and added these to my shops in the last week. 

This first one came into being as I was considering the plight of the greyhound. The good news is that only seven states still allow racing. But that is also the bad news. One day it will be just a shadow from the past. It can't come soon enough. 

Visit  http://www.grey2kusa.org/  and follow @grey2kusa on twitter for ongoing updates about  the state of the racing industry. 

This watercolor pencil work was just for fun. Kittens are just so cute, and I envisioned a little CAT-det hiding away on July 4th, taking everything in. 

Keeping with a red, white, and blue theme, I finally used this cheery polka dotted fabric to make a skirt. I love polka dots - they are always happy! Add a little bird and a few cats and it becomes triple happy!

Click on any photo to be taken to the listing in my shops. 

Kitties are SOOOO cute and fun! These were born at my son's house because a neighbor had been a bit neglectful of his duty to neuter his cats. SO my daughter-in-law rescued them from under her porch, kept them inside with the mom, and actually tamed the mom enough so she could be petted. She plans on getting her spayed soon. The gray and white one is already taken and the two other gray ones are spoken for. So they will have good homes! 

Kitty Art for Sun-Loving Dreamy Cats

It was 80 degrees on Friday (4-20) ...so much like beach weather! The kitties were out having fun in the sun! Finding their favorite 'beam' and settling in for awhile is what makes life so pleasant....ahhh to be a cat....

dreaming about the day when you can float up into the trees and visit those feathered 'friends' and invite them  to share a meal.....oh what a delicacy! 

Enjoy your weather while you have it, kitties - it's cold and getting ready to snow here! 

Art work is available in my Catcalls shop. Click the pictures for more info. 

What we think about Easter determines the course of our lives.

All holidays are meant to be reminders of significant people or events in history. But Easter stands alone in it's potential to personally impact a life.

The story of the birth, life, and death of Jesus Christ would certainly be an interesting tale, full of mystery, suspense, wonder, miracles, crime, love, hate, greed, etc. But if that were the end, that's all it would be - just an interesting tale. I'm sure there would still be a good number of followers, many books written about the selfless martyr, rules to live by based on his teaching, speeches given in his honor to commemorate him, and lots of streets and buildings named after him. But that's all. He would be an idea, a philosophy, a set of teachings that man would attempt to make into a means by which one can become righteous, making him good enough to be accepted into the next life.

But Jesus did more than be born, live, and die. He was resurrected! And His resurrection validated everything He taught while here on the earth, placing it in a class by itself, in the place of TRUTH. There is no other religious leader, good man, or prophet who can lay claim to being the embodiment of Truth. Jesus alone is the Truth. "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No man comes to the Father except through  Me." ( John 14:6 New International Version) The Bible is God's gift to us to explain His plan from the beginning of time as to how we may become righteous in His eyes, and the main character is His Son, Jesus Christ.

The one who truly believes this, that a Man has been sent from God to tell us about what lies beyond the grave and how to live in such a way as to experience a relationship with God, will make all his decisions with that truth in mind. He will be like Ezra. "For Ezra had set his heart to study the law of the LORD and to practice it, and to teach His statutes and ordinances in Israel." (Ezra 7:10 New American Standard) The man who believes in the resurrection will think about what God will say to him regarding how he raised his children, how he ran his business, how he treated his neighbor. It will be his goal to emulate the character of Jesus His Lord; to love his enemies, to forgive, to treat others as he himself wants to be treated. When he fails, he will go right to God in prayer, ask for help, and go at it again. All the while he will grow closer and closer to his heavenly Father, taking on more and more of the character of His Savior until that final day when he will be told, "... Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world." (Matthew 25:34 New International Version) The one who believes in Easter with his whole heart has made it his life's goal to know God and please Him above all. 

Easter is not a one-day-a-year holiday to him, it is an every day conscience choice to love the Lord with all his heart, all his soul, all his mind, all his strength and to love his neighbor as himself. It will direct the course of his life.

Easter is a good time to ask yourself if you have ever read through the entire Bible. If it is Truth, then shouldn't we want to know what is in it? And if it is Truth in the form of a person that we can know, shouldn't it speak to us? Many people write off the Bible as outdated stories, irrelevant reading, a crutch for life, old fashioned thoughts that have little meaning for today, but they have never read it for themselves to see. It is a book that stands alone because it it is a living book. "For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart." (Hebrews 4:12 New International Version) Don't let the message of Easter pass you by another year. See for yourself if there really is Truth to follow in this world and Truth to set the course of your life by.

Cool Jewels from a Fiery Red Headed Cat!

Happy Monday to all Kitty Lovers! Time for the weekly edition of Monday MEWsings! This week is being dedicated to our fearless kitty captain of the Cat Avis Unite Team, Miss MABJewelry! I mean - check out that hair! ANY cat mom whose kitty has THAT hair is fearless, don't you think?! She is  mom to the handsome Franklin (as seen in fiery photo) and the gorgeous Gus. You can see more of them both HERE. Thank you, Mabs, for keeping the CAU team so fun, friendly, and light-hearted! We all  love you!

"All of this started because I wanted to make myself a bracelet. Seriously. From that one single bracelet, an empire grew. Well, a teeny tiny, mini-empire. Unique. Quirky. Joyful. Rich. Those are my favorite jewelry adjectives.

The coolest thing about selling my creations is when a customer discovers their perfect piece of jewelry from the pieces I've made. The second coolest thing is knowing that there are people all over the US, and, since etsy, all over the world wearing something I made. In Sweden! In the U.K.! In Indiana!

The greatest thing about Etsy in particular is the community, both buyers and sellers, people from all over connecting with other people. I've gotten more help and support (and had more fun) here than I ever expected. And I have been so lucky to have such great buyers. I'm enjoying my experience here immensely."

Make sure to click on these photos to go to MABs shop where you find 276 original lovely pieces to choose from! And guess what?? Shipping is FREE to any where in the whole wide world! Now THAT is good MEWS! 

Cranky Cat Earrings

Pewter Kitty Cat Earrings

Upcycled Rhinestone Brooch Necklace 

Silver Sugar Skull Earrings 

Sunstone Art Glass Beaded Bracelet in Copper

Filigree Swirl Necklace in Bright Blue and Silver 

By visiting MABJewelry, you are sure to find the PURRfect piece you are looking for! 

Ink and Watercolor Cat and Dog Art

I'm getting ready to head back to Ohio after spending almost four glorious months in Montana. I'm having moments of breakdowns as I think about driving AWAY from the mountains, the blue skies, the dry air, the milder winters and heading into damp, cloudy, sunless, snow-filled Northeast Ohio. I will go hiking in the mountains one more time before I leave Friday. Hopefully I will be back next spring. 

Since I don't want to add much bulk to my inventory that I must take back, I have been painting and drawing. These are all available in my shops and can be accessed by clicking on the art. They are all affordable,original works, not prints. 

"I Did It"

"Napping Furkids"

"The Scolding"

"The Righteous Man and His Cat"

"Feline Lickin' Good" 

Monday MEWsings - A Vintage Shop of CATS!

 Vintage shops abound on Etsy. You can't look at a Treasury, click on a page of Pounce, or glance at Recently Listed Items without seeing vintage. BUT...you don't often see a vintage shop dedicated almost entirely to one theme. This week, as part of the ongoing Cat Avis Unite Team features, I have found one such shop! Libush is a fairly new shop and a vintage cat collector's dream! You will find Fabulous Feline Figurines from porcelain to pewter in  many PURRsonable poses.  Click on any of these listings to find more information. Or better yet - just check out the entire Libush shop! 

Large Arnart Japan Tabby 

Hagen Renaker Ceramic 

Vintage Pottery Snooty Cats  

1950s Black Lead 

Spelter - old!

Late 80s Pewter

>^.^<

(My fave with mama hugging kitten!) 

Ink Drawings for Cat Lovers

For the cat lovers! 

Have you ever seen black cats wandering around a pumpkin patch? So intriguing! 

Card stock drawing in black and brown ink. 

There are so many sad kitty stories out there. Always heartbreaking. I was doodling in bed last night and ended up listing this as it reflected my dreams of a cozy loving place where I wish all kitties could go. 

Listed in Catcalls 

New Cat and Dog Artwork with New Pens!

I have been in a drawing mood the last few days. I sold several pieces of artwork in the last week and wanted to replenish. I sold my all time absolute favorite kitty painting to a cat lover which made me happy! I almost pulled it many times, but now I am glad it has a good home. 

Full Tummy 4" x 6" Watercolor 

I have used the IDenti-Pen and Ultra Fine Sharpie for most of my art.

But I wanted something finer, so bought these two new Micron pens last Saturday. 

You can see the difference in these pictures.

The series, Cat and Spider, was done with the IDenti-Pen and watercolor pencils. 

Yummy!

To Eat or Not To Eat

Uh Oh!

*********

This was my first ink drawing with the new pens. It was going to be completely in  brown, but I didn't like it so added the black for definition and shading. And I used blue ink for the kitty's eyes. 

In a Punk

This one was going to be another complete ink drawing but looked too plain, so I used watercolor pencils, too.

Morning Visitor

I sold both of my Greyhound art pieces in my Dogbarks shop, so added this yesterday. It is a combination of the Micron pen and watercolor pencils. 

Is This What They Call A Couch Potato?

These are all ACEOs, or trading cards, 3.5" x 2.5" and are available in my shops. Just click the photos! 

I have yet to make any prints of my work. Everything is an original, signed and dated on the back. Sometimes I think I should offer them for those who want art for less money. The original ACEOs are $8-$10. Any suggestions? 

Monday MEWsings presents Artistically Created Cat Photo Cards

          JoysBarnLions

Welcome to another week of Monday MEWsings! The PURRson I have chosen for today's post is not only a member of the Cat Avis Unite Team on Etsy, but  also a believer in spay and neuter programs for feral cat populations. Her shop is full of  charming photos and artistically altered photos of sweet kitties in the form of note cards. ( And one lone dog photo!) Your purchase will serve as a delight to your eyes AND provide help for the feral kitties in Joy's neck of the woods! 

"I created Barn Lions to help control the overpopulation of cats. I donate profits to help spay and neuter feral cats. Barn Lions was named after one of my barn cats who looked just like a little lion when it was a kitten. I began taking photographs of cats as a hobby. I work with the images to bring out a more enchanting dimension of the cat. I've been printing my images on note cards and giving them as gifts, now I offer them for sale. You can find out how Barn Lions is helping cats by visiting my website at www.barnlions.com."

Click on the photos for more information and purchasing. 

THANK YOU for your kind heart, Joy! 

Meet Baron - my first plush German Shepherd!

A couple of days ago I started offering custom made plush dogs. You can choose a breed I have already made or one that I have yet to make! I received my first order the next day for a German Shepherd. I was pretty excited. I thought I would share what happened so you can see the process I use. Nothing Harvard would approve of, but nonetheless, successful. At least mostly. 

First I look at the dog breed. I pull up dozens of pictures on the web: live shots, drawings, silhouettes, clip art. I mostly study the live shots. The hard part about the shepherd is that almost all the photos are of a dog with his mouth open! I had to guess. I then start drawing on whatever piece of paper is available...newspaper, drawing paper, bags, magazines...anything available. I have quite a colorful collection of patterns for dogs and cats! I usually end up piecing the pattern together. This one is a combination of yellow paper and brown shipping paper. With lots of tape! This is actually the tweaked pattern. You can see how I shortened the legs by folding and taping. I'm so creative!

I thought a nice black and white fabric might be kind of cool. The buyer left fabric choice to me. So I carefully cut out the shepherd and sewed it together. I knew from the start that the ears were going to be the most difficult. Something about pointy ears always gives me trouble. As soon as I started stuffing, I realized my mistake. This is going to be a zebra! I could also tell the legs were too long. I always have to remember that fabric stretches, no matter what kind, when stuffing. This is what is left of my first attempt. Go ahead and laugh....

Pathetic dog...scrap that.

I decided flannel is good. I love flannel and have made many dogs from it. I cut again. I sewed it all with a zigzag stitch on the outside like all my dogs. Looked pretty good. I stuffed...and stuffed....and stuffed. BIG dog! Almost a whole pillow! (I use standard pillows for fill) And then.....arrrrrgh! Neck too long, legs too long, not buff enough in the chest. The tail was awesome though! Here's what's left of that one. Head is still stuffed and tail cut off. 

I hate to destuff a dog that is almost finished. I feel like I am killing it! I name them all and they become my little buddies, my fosters, if you will. Fortunately, I hadn't named this one yet. 

After fixing the pattern, I cut again. I could tell this was much better. But I still had the ear problem. I decided to go with just stitching them on at the top and hope they looked alright. I had tried to place them on the side and hand stitch them on, but they looked funny. After all of that, I finally ended up with a shepherd I approved of.

I decided he needed eyes. I don't put eyes on a lot of my dogs, but this one begged for eyes. Felt eyes and a felt  nose. And a nice country collar. 

Say  hello to Baron! If the buyer does not want him for some reason, I will put him in my shop. He will be $35.00

Here is one of my listings for a custom dog. There are two so you can see a variety of dogs. Click the photo to go to the listing in Dogbarks. I will add Baron somewhere in the group of photos.