Fat Cat Crafts

Mario and Luigi Cat Pincushions

2012-01-22T15:06:00.000-08:00

NEW SUPER MARIO BROTHER PINCUSHION CATS!!
Ever wonder what Mario and Luigi would look like as cats? You don't have to wonder anymore because here they are: Mario and Luigi in cat form!

Pincushion Cats Mario and Luigi are completely functional pincushions for sewers or can be used as a cool decorative pieces. The majority of these pincushions were hand sewn. They, like all my other creations, are handcrafted and made from my own patterns.

The cat pincushions are made of various colors of felt. The head and tail are tan and the body is red or green, depending on the character, with blue overalls with golden yellow buttons. The hats match their shirt colors and have their first name initial painted on. Their faces consists of pins And to complete the face are black felt mustaches. They have white gloves and brown boots made from pom poms. They are firmly stuffed with 100% polyester fiberfill. I also made a sand pouch from cotton fabric and sewed that inside the pincushion which gives them more stability and weight.

They stand approximately 5.5 inches (14 cms) to 5.75 inches (14.75 cms) tall and measure approximately 11 inches (28 cms) to 11.25 inches (28.75 cms) around the bellys.

To see the brothers in my Etsy shop Click Here!
To see my Etsy shop in it's entirety Click Here!

Riddle Me This. Riddle Me That.

2012-01-16T16:08:00.000-08:00

"Outwitting Batman is my soul delight, my joy, my heaven on earth, my very paradise."

― Frank Gorshin as The Riddler (1966)

Riddle me this. Riddle me that. Who likes fat cats better than pesky bats?

The Riddler is the first of many "Batman" inspired cat pincushions to come. I plan on doing characters from the 60's TV show, comic books and my own interpretations. So be sure to keep an eye out for Catwoman, the Joker, the Penguin, and of course Batman!

Pincushion Cat the Riddler is a completely functional pincushion for sewers or can be used as a cool decorative piece. The majority of this pincushion was hand sewn. the Riddler, like all my other creations, is handcrafted and made from my own patterns.

The cat pincushion is made of various colors of felt. The head and tail are gray and the body is a bright lime green. He has a purple mask and belt, both which tie in a bow at the back. He has a very dark navy blue question mark painted on his chest. His face consists of pins He has purple gloves and lime green booties made from pom poms. He is firmly stuffed with 100% polyester fiberfill.

He stands approximately 5.5 inches (14 cms) tall and measures approximately 11 inches (28 cms) around the belly.

(Show with traditional tomato pincushion for size)

To see the Riddler in my Etsy shop Click Here!
To see my Etsy shop in it's entirety Click Here!

NEW Caveman Rocky (Or should it be Cavecat)

2012-01-04T12:56:00.000-08:00

Meet Rocky! He's rough, he's tough. He doesn't speak much but he can do a mean grunt.

And he wasn't even on my to-do list. Or in my big ideas book. The idea literally just popped into my head and I knew I had to make him next. And I'm quite happy I did! I think he turned out pretty good!

Caveman Rocky is a completely functional pincushion for sewers or can be used as a cool decorative piece. The majority of this pincushion was hand sewn. Rocky, like all my other creations, is handcrafted and made from my own patterns.

He stands approximately 5.5 inches (14 cms) tall and measures approximately 11.25 inches (28.5 cms) around the belly.

(Shown with traditional tomato pincushion for size)

To see Rocky in my Etsy shop Click Here!
To see my Etsy shop in it's entirety Click Here!

NEW Cheshire Cat Pincushion

2012-01-03T11:42:00.001-08:00

First Cat Pincushion of 2012: the Cheshire Cat!

"The Cat only grinned when it saw Alice. It looked good-natured, she thought: still it had very long claws and a great many teeth, so she felt that it ought to be treated with respect."
-Lewis Carrol from 'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland'

The Cheshire Cat is the second of my "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" or "Through the Looking-Glass" inspired cat pincushions. Be sure to keep an eye out for the Queen of Hearts, the Hatter, the White Rabbit, plus many more!

The Cheshire Cat is a completely functional pincushion for sewers or can be used as a cool decorative piece. The majority of this pincushion was hand sewn. Cheshire Cat, like all my other creations, is handcrafted and made from my own patterns.

He stands approximately 5.75 inches (14.75 cms) tall and measures approximately 11 inches (28 cms) around the belly.

(Shown with traditional tomato pincushion for size)

I also made some improvement to Alice as well!

To see my Etsy shop section of Alice Characters Click Here!
To see my Etsy shop in it's entirety Click Here!

Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T12:36:00.000-08:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!

Thank you to everyone for a great 2011! Thanks to everyone who bought, looked at or referred anyone to my Etsy shop, Facebook Fan Page, Twitter Page, Blog, etc. Thank you to everyone who waited patiently for your custom orders. It was a very hectic year with some ups and downs, personal and pincushion life both. But it was all worth it because over 130 cats, pigs, turkeys, bees, snowmen and gingerbread people went out to new homes, making 2011 Fat Cat Crafts' most successful year! Even with finding out I have Lupus and not being able to sew for 3-4 months. Take that Lupus!

Now it's time for some Fat Cat Crafts New Year Resolutions!

(My boyfriend, Buster Keaton 1929)

Here's some of my resolutions, I know I have many, many more. But here's some at least!

1. Get paper shredder (eliminate my paper clutter and double as recycled packing/shipping supplies)

2. Get dry erase board (eliminate my to-do list/note taking obsession)

3. Make promotional bumper stickers

4. Organize all Facebook fan page picture folders. And update my Flickr pictures as well

5. Clean out all unnecessary files on my computer

6. To get a sale in all 50 states

7. Most importantly, constantly keep adding new pincushion characters to my Etsy shop!

Thanks again and I can't wait to see what's in store for 2012. Lots more pincushion cats, I can tell you that!

Busy Busy Busy!

2011-12-28T14:13:00.000-08:00

Holy cow the last few weeks just flew by! I feel like all I did for 3.5 weeks is sew. But it was all worth it because 42 cats, pigs, turkeys, bees, snowmen and gingerbread people went out to new homes!

Here's a sample of some of the orders I made in November and December.

(Custom Order Butt Flap Pajamas Cat)

(Devilish Angel Doll)

(Quilt for a pincushion cat to sit on)

(Custom Order Ohio State Football Cats)

(Custom Order Grill Master Cat Ornament)

(Random Line-up #1)

(Random Line-up #2)

Happy Holidays!!

2011-12-24T06:46:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone has a great holiday! I found this fun free holiday e-card from JibJab where you can put in your family/friends' pictures. I put myself, my2 sisters and my mom and dad as elves. Though I do think I'm going to re-do it because I didn't really know what I was doing with the first couple of faces so the mouths are off. I'm sure this site has been up for a long time, but I'm slow in finding this, so I'm excited!

My family holiday e-card

Also since I do love Buster Keaton so much, I thought I'd put these up as well.
Happy Holidays from Fat Cat Crafts!!

(One of my first pincushion cats I made in 2008)

Cyber Monday Sale!

2011-11-28T05:08:00.000-08:00

LAST DAY FOR 10% OFF YOUR ETSY ORDER!

Don't forget to take advantage of my Cyber Monday Sale! Today is the last day 11-28-11) to take 10% off your order on Etsy. I have over 80 characters to choose from. Perfect stocking stuffers for sewers or cat lovers!

All my pincushions are completely functional for sewers or can be used as a cool decorative piece. The majority of my pincushion are hand sewn. All my creations are handcrafted and made from my own patterns.

To visit my Etsy Shop, CLICK HERE
(Don't forget to type in coupon code "GOBBLE2011" at checkout to receive your discount)

Fat Cat Crafts Black Friday through Cyber Monday Sale!!

2011-11-24T08:49:00.000-08:00

(Black Cat Pincushion Roger)

FAT CAT CRAFTS IS HAVING A SALE! Friday 11-25 through Monday 11-28 take 10% off your order! Just type in coupon code "GOBBLE2011" at checkout. Sorry, this code cannot be used with any other coupon/offer. Happy Shopping!

Handmade functional and fun pincushion cats. Pick your favorite profession, activity, historical period costume, etc and I'll make it into a cat. Choose from over 70 styles!

All the items in my shop are handcrafted and made from my own patterns.

(Cat Pincushion Superhero Green Caped Crusader Chunky)

(Pirate Cat Pincushions captain Red-Eyes and Catnip Carl)

(Pincushion Cat Hippie Ruby)

(Pincushion Pig Porter)

(Viking cat Pincushions Hilde and Olav the Orange)

(Cat Burglar Pincushion Horus)

(Items can always be packaged with a note! Just let me know at time of purchase what you'd like the note it to read.)

Be sure to get all your holiday shopping done before the post office becomes swamped. Make sure to read through my shop policies, especially about the USPS shipping cutoff dates for the holidays!

To see my Etsy shop in it's entirety, Click Here!

Fat Cat Fabric Magnets and Ornaments NEW

2011-11-24T08:04:00.000-08:00

I am very happy to be adding Fat Cat Fabric Magnets and Ornaments to my Etsy shop!

Fat Cat Fabric Magnets!!

(Magnet holding up a picture of my cat Spooky)

The kitties are made out of felt with small pom poms for the feet. They have various trims/accessories added depending on the character. They have painted on faces.

(I got my magnet to hold up 6+ pictures!)

Fat Cat Fabric Ornaments!!!

The cats are approximately 3.75 inches (19.5 cms) tall (a little taller if counting the loop for ornaments) and 4 inches (10 cms) wide, tail included

The kitties are stuffed with 100% polyester fiberfill. The ornaments do stand on their own if you prefer to not hang them up.

They are completely hand sewn. They, like all my other creations, are handcrafted and made from my own patterns.

.To see my Etsy shop section of Fat Cat Fabric Magnets and Ornaments Click Here!
To see my Etsy shop in it's entirety Click Here!

Alice in Wonderland Cat Pincushion Series: Alice NEW

2011-11-20T07:19:00.000-08:00

Alice followed the White Rabbit down the rabbit hole and encountered many curious creatures.

Alice is the first of many "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" or "Through the Looking-Glass" inspired cat pincushions to come. What character would you like to see next: Queen of Hearts, the Hatter, the Cheshire Cat, other? Please feel free to leave your suggestion in the comments!

Pincushion Cat Alice is a completely functional pincushion for sewers or can be used as a cool collective piece. The majority of this pincushion was hand sewn. Alice, like all my other creations, is handcrafted and made from my own patterns.

The cat pincushion body is made of tan felt and the dress is from blue felt. Her apron is from a ruffled eyelet lace with white felt for the top portion and tie. She has a black ribbon for her headband. Her face consists of various pins. She is firmly stuffed with 100% polyester fiberfill. I also made a sand pouch from cotton fabric and sewed that inside the pincushion which gives her more stability and weight.

She stands approximately 5.5 inches (14 cms) tall and measures approximately 11.25 inches (28.75 cms) around the belly.

(Shown with traditional tomato pincushion for size)

To see my Etsy shop section of Alice Characters Click Here!
To see my Etsy shop in it's entirety Click Here!

Turkey Invasion!!

2011-11-16T08:33:00.000-08:00

IT'S A TURKEY INVASION!!!

There's still time to order your Turkey Pincushion Decoration for Thanksgiving! But not much time!

Pincushion Turkey Tommy is a completely functional pincushion for sewers or can be used as a cool decorative piece. The majority of this pincushion was hand sewn. Tommy, like all my other creations, is handcrafted and made from my own patterns.

The felt turkey pincushions have 3 different color choices for the tail: Orange, Burgundy Red and Olive Green. His face consists of 2 ballpoint pins for the eyes. He is firmly stuffed with 100% polyester fiberfill. I also made a sand pouch from cotton fabric and sewed that inside the pincushion which gives him more stability and weight.
(Shown with traditional tomato pincushion for size)

Depending on which color turkey, they stand approximately between 5.75-6.25 inches (14.75-16 cms) tall with hat and measures approximately 10.5-11 inches (26.75-28 cms) around the belly.

(Orange)
(Olive Green)
(Burgundy Red)

To see my Etsy shop section of Turkeys Click Here!
To see my Etsy shop in it's entirety Click Here!

Gobble Gobble!

Another Late Halloween Post: Halloween Costume

2011-11-15T16:31:00.000-08:00

My Halloween costume for 2011: The "Late but Lucky" Dress variant from American McGee's Alice: Madness Returns computer game.

(Real Version)

(My version. Yes, nowhere near as bad-ass looking as the original, but I'm still quite pleased with the outcome. This was by far the most complex costume I've ever attempted. And why I decided to make the jacket out of vinyl, I'll never know. And I only broke 2 needles while sewing this.)

This costume took a little less that 2 weeks to sew. Everything is made from scratch, including the hat/bunny ears. Except the black gloves. I ran out of time, and stamina, and just decided to take the easy route and buy them. This was my first attempt at a hat from scratch, so all in all, not terrible. I plan on my next one being awesome.

(Taken at the Brunswick Library where I work. It was a Halloween festival in the children's department that day. One of the activities for the kids was a costume parade where they get to parade around the library and show off their costumes. And the librarians asked me to lead the children around the library!)

(Me goofing off while trying to get decent pictures of the costume. I think my friend helping was getting ready to kill me. I'd say 75% of the pictures are of my dancing and grinning.)

(At a Halloween party where I discovered a talent for beer pong. This was my first time playing, and I don't really drink beer, so it was a good thing I hardly missed. And I became the undefeated champion, to boot.)

Late Halloween Themed Post

2011-11-15T14:10:00.000-08:00

I am such a disgrace to the blogging community. My blogging dedication is very poor. I should make that my New Year's resolution: to keep up with my blog.

Anyway, since I last posted I came up with a new Pincushion Cat: Count Catula

Meet Vampire Cat Count Catula: Don't worry, he won't bite, he only craves milk.

Pincushion Cat Count Catula is a completely functional pincushion for sewers or can be used as a cool decorative piece. The majority of this pincushion was hand sewn. Count Catula, like all my other creations, is handcrafted and made from my own patterns.

This item consists of 1 cat pincushion and 15 assorted pins.

He stands approximately 5.5 inches (14 cms) tall and measures approximately 11 inches (28 cms) around the belly.

NEW Halloween Cat Pincushions

2011-09-13T04:42:00.000-07:00

Halloween is just around the corner! And I couldn't be happier! Last week as soon as it hit 60 degrees, I pulled out my sweaters and jeans. Found my Fall scarfs and hats. Started craving apple cider and pumpkin roll. Granted yesterday it was back up to 80 degrees, but those days are numbered my friends.

Getting back to the subject at hand, because of the cooler overcast weather, I've been inspired to make some new Halloween Cats! Meet Mummy Cat Kitty-Hotep and improved Jack-O-Lantern Cat Jacky!

Meet Mummy Cat Kitty-Hotep: He may look a little creepy, but he's just woken up from a long nap and feels a tad bit disoriented.

All my cat pincushions are handcrafted and made from my own patterns. They are fully functioning pincushions though can be used a cool decorative art piece for display.

They are made from felt and are stuffed with 100% polyester fiberfill. There is also a sand pouch inside to give the pincushions more weight and stability.

And here's Jack-O-Lanter Jacky: He's round, plump and proud of it. And he decided that a Jack-O-Lantern costume for him was perfect way to show off his roundness to the world.

The majority of my pincushions are hand sewn. And since they are all hand crafted, no item will every be an exact replica of another. But they are extremely close! Sizes rang from 5-6 inches (12.75- 15.25 cms) tall and 10-11 inches (25.25- 28 cms) around the belly depending on the style/size of the fabric sheets I use.

Here you can see his larger size next to a traditional tomato pincushion. So much more space for all your pins and needles! And these have so much more character! But then again, I am biased since I make them.

And watch out for Dracula Cat who will be joining his Halloween friends very shortly!

CLICK HERE to see my Etsy shop in it's entirety

NEW Cat Pincushion Wannabe Bat Bartholomew

2011-08-07T13:47:00.000-07:00

Here's my newest Pincushion Cat: Wannabe Bat Bartholomew!!

Pincushion Cat Bartholomew is a completely functional pincushion for sewers or can be used as a cool decorative piece. The majority of this pincushion was hand sewn. Bartholomew, like all my other creations, is handcrafted and made from my own patterns.

The bat part of the pincushion is made of speckled charcoal gray felt and the cat parts are made out of orange felt. To make it look like he's wearing a a bat suit, I sewed a circular piece of orange felt onto the face. His face consists of 2 black ballpoint pins for the eyes, 1 white ballpoint pin for the nose and 12 straight pins that make up the mouth and whiskers (6 for whiskers and 6 for the mouth). His feet are made from orange pom poms.

He has black bat wings attached to his back. The wings are made out of black pleather and I sewed lines onto them to make the veins. And to make it look even more like he's in a bat suit, I stitched in a fake lace-up with black embroidery floss. He is firmly stuffed with 100% polyester fiberfill. I also made a sand pouch from cotton fabric and sewed that inside the pincushion which gives him more stability and weight.

He stands approximately 5.5 inches (14 cms) tall and measures approximately 11 inches (28 cms) around the belly with a wing span of approximately 9.25 inches (23.5 cms).

CLICK HERE to visit Wannabe Bat Bartholomew in my Etsy shop

CLICK HERE to see my Etsy shop in it's entirety

Tuesday Treasury (Yes, I Know, a Day Late)

2011-07-20T15:01:00.000-07:00

(This post was supposed to go up yesterday July 19th but I didn't get it up in time. I made the Etsy treasury on that day though, if that counts!)

(My Dad 1968)

July 19, 2001, 10 years ago, my dad lost his battle with stomach cancer. I made this Etsy treasury with items that remind me of him. Only picture I couldn't find was a garage so overstuffed with random items that if you opened the door you risked everything tumbling out.

The title is a quote that my dad used to say to us kids anytime we asked a dumb question, which we did a lot to egg him on and get that response.

Click here to view the full treasury on Etsy

You can click on any individual item to see it's listing on Etsy, too!

(Me with my Dad approximately 1985)

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥We all love you dad and I promise you are not forgotten♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

NEW Pig Pincushion Porter!

2011-07-18T12:08:00.000-07:00

Meet Pig Pincushion Porter!!

I made a new animal pincushion! I was very excited to get a request for a custom pig pincushion because I've always wanted to make one. So now I had an excuse to mess around with making some new patterns!

He's made of pink felt. His eyes consists of 2 blue ballpoint pins. He has pink feet made from pom poms and his tail is made from a piece of wire encased in felt. He also has a polka dot green organza ribbon collar. He is firmly stuffed with 100% polyester fiberfill. I also made a sand pouch from cotton fabric and sewed that inside the pincushion which gives him more stability.

He measures approximately 6 inches (15.25 cms) long, including tail, and measures approximately 11 inches (28 cms) around the belly.

I have Short Hair!

2011-07-13T16:31:00.000-07:00

I've really been needing a change lately. So today I went and got my hair cut. I now have my nice short hair back. It's been so long since I've had short hair and I feel like me again. I'm not a high maintenance girl when it comes to hair. All the time it takes to dry and straighten, not a happy camper with that. The last few months I've just had it in a headband and/or a ponytail because it's always in my way. But now I'm happy!!

Monday Morning Treasury! Attack of the Sock Animals!!

2011-07-11T11:53:00.000-07:00

This treasury was inspired by my friend Jen at Jeneration Design and her sock monkeys!

Click here to view the full treasury on Etsy

You can click on any individual item to see it's listing on Etsy, too!

Chunky Part 2

2011-07-10T05:55:00.000-07:00

OK decided to go back to my white background for my pictures. But with props at least. I think they looked a bit too busy with the swirly fabric background.

Click Here to Visit Chunky in My Etsy Shop

Chunky is back!

2011-07-06T14:38:00.000-07:00

Very happy to report the Red Caped Crusader Pincushion Cat Chunky is back up in my Etsy shop!! First one back up in over 3 months! And with a new picture style, to boot!

The majority of this pincushion was hand sewn.

Chunky is made of black and maroon felt. His face consists of various pins, his feet are made from black pom poms and he is firmly stuffed with 100% polyester fiberfill. There is a sand pouch inside the pincushion which gives him more weight and stability.

He stands approximately 5.25 inches (13.25 cms) tall and measures approximately 11 inches (28 cms) around the belly.

Click Here to Visit Chunky in My Etsy Shop

Through the Eyes of a Mermaid

2011-07-05T06:59:00.000-07:00

This is what I think mermaids get to see and play with everyday!

Here's the link to the Etsy treasury:
http://www.etsy.com/treasury/NTcwNjk0NXw0MTI5OTA2OTU/through-the-eyes-of-a-mermaid?ref=pr_treasury

You can click on any individual item to see it's listing on Etsy, too!

Sewing Room (Much Needed) Make-over

2011-07-03T07:38:00.000-07:00

The last few days have been a chore. Was sitting in my awesome Goodwill chair and decided that my sewing room just wasn't cutting it anymore. No pun intended.

Too many supplies and fabric, not enough space. And I no longer liked my room layout. So decided to move everything, and I mean EVERYTHING, to the center of the room. After I did that, I questioned my common sense. I stood there in the middle of a pile of shelves, tubs, supplies, random oddities and was immediately overwhelmed with the project I just hastefully created for myself.

But I took a breath and randomly chose a wall to start with. I sorted out all my supply tubs and got rid of anything I wasn't going to use. I always buy stuff with the intention of making or doing something with it. But if I looked at it and couldn't figure out what my original project was going to be, it got put in the donation pile. My tubs are now filled with various labeled bags, specifically for all my little holiday supplies/materials. still need to finish up is some random adds and ends that I'm not sure where they're going. And my office/computer corner.

My goal is to complete all my custom sewing orders this week, along with finishing up this room. And then I will proudly display pictures of my new, improved sewing room!

Slowly but Surely Fat Cat Crafts is Coming Back!

2011-06-21T13:04:00.000-07:00

I swear, I haven't given up my shop!

Things have been a bit difficult the last few months. I started having really bad joint pain and swelling. Starting in my fingers then pretty much went to all my other joints. And very, very tired. To the point I couldn't move off my couch. Truthfully, I really thought I would just have some broken fingers or that I've just gotten myself really run down. But no, that would be too easy.

Go to the doctor and she doesn't like what she sees. So she runs some blood test. I get my results back and am told my ANA test was positive, which means I have an autoimmune disease, and that I need to get to a Rheumatologist. Go to the Rheumatologist, who runs more blood tests. I get those results back and am told I tested positive for Lupus. She tells me she thinks I'm in early stage of Lupus and that I need to get on some medication.

All awhile this is going on, I haven't been able to sew because of the pain. And because of my swollen sausage fingers. This started in February/March and I'm now just starting to be able to sew again. Thank you Plaquenil for helping!

(Me triumphantly showing off the start of a Viking Cat Pincushion, my 1st sewing project in over 3 months.)

I've been in pain everyday since this has happened. But the good news is, on some days the pain is manageable. And those are the days that I will sew and rebuild my shop. Because I have big plans for this shop! There will be many new items, pincushions and other fun oddities.

Fat Cat Crafts will be back up and running. I refuse to give up my shop. I promise you that!

Valentine's Day

2011-02-15T13:00:00.001-08:00

Oops, I'm a day late! I hope everyone had a great day with their sweeties!

I spent it sewing up more cats and eating my mom's chocolate covered strawberries given to her from her other daughter for babysitting her grandson. I'm a terrible daughter, I know.

Oh well, there's always next year. Happy Valentine's everyone!

NEW Ninja Cat Pincushion Oishi

2011-01-17T18:42:00.000-08:00

Here's my newest! Ninja Cat Pincushion Oishi!! He's completely functional as a pincushion but is able to be used as a decorative piece for any non-sewer.

He's made of gray and black felt. The cat is gray and his wrap-around ninja suit is black. He has a black belt around his waist and a black hood complete with a black tie bandanna over his eyes. His face consists of 2 red ballpoint pins for the eyes, 1 white ballpoint pin for the nose and 12 straight pins that make up the mouth and whiskers (6 for whiskers and 6 for the mouth). His feet are made from black pom poms. He has a black sheath on his back which contains his Katana sword. The sword is made out of clay and painted. The handle is wrapped in red embroidery floss. He is firmly stuffed with 100% polyester fiberfill. He stands approximately 5.75 inches (14.5 cms) tall and measures approximately 11 inches (28 cms) around the belly.

Oishi the Ninja Cat, like all my other creations, is handcrafted and made from my own pattern.

To see all my Pincushion Cats, click here:
http://www.etsy.com/shop/FatCatCrafts

Bring on 2011!

2011-01-13T17:02:00.000-08:00

Well it's another year full of possibilities. 2011 is going to be a great year! I can just feel it.

Fat Cat Crafts is starting out this year with a bang! There have been many new character cats put up in my Etsy shop over the last couple of weeks. At least every 2 weeks, a new character cat will be debuted. Though at the rate it's going right now, a new cat has been debuted every few of days.

Here's the line-up of the new cats on my site and when they debuted.
December 30- Army Cat Pincushion Byron
December 30- "Kiss Me" Cat Pincushion Kenneth
January 1- "Cutie Pie" Pincushion Cat Ralphie

January 3- "Love You" Cat Pincushion Vinny
January 3- Viking Cat Pincushion Olav The Orange

January 6- Happy Hippie Cat Pincushion Ruby

January 7- "Will You Marry Me" Proposal Cat Pincushion Wesley
January 10- White Cat Pincushion With Hearts Valentin
January 11- Happy Hippie Cat Pincushion Reba
January 11- Blue Caped Crusader Pincushion Cat Chunky

January 12- Mommy and Baby Cat Pincushion Melissa

January 12- Happy Hippie Pincushion Cat Roscoe
January 15- Green and White Pincushion Cat Murray
January 15- "Be Mine" Cat Pincushion Huey
January 16- Ballerina Cat Pincushion Bertie
January 17- Ninja Cat Pincushion Oishi
January 27- Viking Cat Pincushion Hilde
January 31- Bride and Groom Cat Pincushions Kimmy and Grant
February 5- "Nerds are Cool" Cat Pincushion Malcolm
February 5- "I Love Nerds" Cat Pincushion Mindy
February 9- Pirate Cat Pincushion Catnip Carl
February 11- Wannabe Ladybug Cat Pincushion Lacey

Here's some that are scheduled. I will add to the list when I know more.
?- Voodoo Cat Pincushion
?- Librarian Cat Pincushion
?- Mermaid Cat Pincushion
?- Girl Pirate Cat Pincushion
?- Egyptian Pharaoh Cat Pincushion

And my regulars such as Cat Burglar Pincushion Horus, Ballerina Cat Pincushions Betsy and Belinda, Pirate Cat Pincushion Captain Red-Eyes, Wannabe Bunny Cat Pincushion Bruno and Tiger Cat Pincushion Baxter, to name few.

There are many more to come, so I hope you keep an eye out. And feel free to post any ideas you may have here for new character cats. Or I also have a Fat Cat Crafts Facebook Fan Page and started a discussion board where people have been dropping ideas. Either place will do!

Fat Cat Crafts's Etsy Shop:
http://fatcatcrafts.etsy.com/

Please become a Facebook Fan of Fat Cat Crafts:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Fat-Cat-Crafts/275093115319

Happy 2011! Make it great year!

Horus the Cat Burglar Snuck his Way onto the Front Page of Etsy!!

2010-06-01T13:10:00.000-07:00

Horus the Cat Burglar was on the front page of Etsy this morning! I'm so excited, I've been hoping to make it up there one day. Too bad it was very early in the morning and I was asleep, but that's OK. Here's the screenshot. It's a very cool black and white striped theme. Hope you like it as much as I!

Chance to win a FREE pincushion of your choice!

2010-05-15T06:08:00.000-07:00

Fat Cat Crafts is featured in a blog! And you can enter to win a free Fat Cat Crafts pincushion from my Etsy shop of your choosing!

All you have to do is become a follower of her wonderful blog and leave a comment on her blog about which item from my shop you like best.

Entries will be excepted through midnight tonight. Winners will be announced Sunday.

Thanks everyone and good luck it you choose to enter!

http://joydevivredesign.blogspot.com/2010/05/have-you-seen-this-etsy-shop_11.html

NEW Chunky the Caped Crusader Cat

2010-02-13T15:31:00.000-08:00

Chunky the Caped Crusader Cat seeks justice for all his feline friends. He's faster than a galloping sloth, more powerful than a remote controlled car, and leaps over low fences in a single semi-graceful bound. He keeps those pesky pooches at bay. He never rests unless it's feeding or nap time.
He stands approximately 5.5 inches (14 cms) tall and measures approximately 10.75 inches (27.25 cms) around the belly.
Chunky the Caped Crusader Cat, like all my other creations, is handcrafted and made from my own pattern.
$1 from every item sold will be put in a fund and be donated to a charity at the end of 2010!

Horus the Cat Burglar Has Been Featured!

2010-02-11T12:25:00.000-08:00

Horus has been featured on a beautiful blog called Linda B's Blog! Along with Horus there are 4 other wonderful items from Etsy shops.
Come check it out and show your support for homemade items!
http://linorstorecom.blogspot.com/2010/02/lindas-top-5-etsy-shop-finds_11.html

NEW Sydney the Pink Leopard Cat

2010-02-10T13:14:00.000-08:00

Well I got a day off off work and I'm pretty much snowed in, so I had some time to work on new items. Here's my newest, Sydney the Pink Leopard Cat!
She stands approximately 5.25 inches (13.25 cms) tall and measures approximately 10.25 inches (26 cms) around the belly.
Sydney the Pink Leopard Cat, like all my other creations, is handcrafted and made from my own pattern.
$1 from every item sold will be put in a fund and be donated to a charity at the end of 2010!

Top 2 Charities!

2010-02-07T17:19:00.000-08:00

For every item sold in my Etsy shop or craft fair in 2010, I am donating a $1 to a charity. The money is being collected in a jar and will be donated in one, hopefully large, sum of money at the end of the year. So far we've raised $6. Still not what I was hoping for, but it's still early in the year. The goal is $100! I'm optimistic!

I've narrowed my 4 charity choices to 2. It was really hard, I have no idea how I'm going to choose which one is the top charity. Maybe I'll raise enough money this year to be able to donate to both!!

★ World Wildlife Fund: WWF is dedicated to the conservation of nature in 100 countries.
"We are committed to reversing the degradation of our planet's natural environment and to building a future in which human needs are met in harmony with nature." I was going give a summary of what they are all about, but I thought this quote taken from their website says it best.
http://www.worldwildlife.org/home.html

★ Make-a-Wish Foundation: Founded in 1980, this organization is committed to granting wishes to children with life threatening illnesses. So far, over 188,400 wishes granted.
http://www.wish.org/

Buster Keaton

2010-02-01T20:31:00.000-08:00

Buster Keaton died 44 years ago today. I just wanted to write down a quote of his that I love.

"I've had few dull moments [in my life] and not too many sad and defeated ones. In saying this I am by no means overlooking the rough and rocky years I've lived through. But I was not brought up thinking life would be easy. I always expected to work hard for my money and to get nothing I did not earn. And the bad years, it seems to me, were so few that only a dyed-in-the-wool grouch who enjoys feeling sorry for himself would complain."

I'm not going to go into details about why I love him so much. Watch any of his silents films and you will find out for yourself.

$1 for Every Item Sold Goes to Charity!

2010-02-01T09:02:00.000-08:00

I decided at the beginning of January that for every item sold in my Etsy shop and at craft fairs, $1 will be put aside and donated to a charity at the end of 2010. I've narrowed my ideas down to 4 organizations:

★ World Wildlife Fund: WWF is dedicated to the conservation of nature in 100 countries.
"We are committed to reversing the degradation of our planet's natural environment and to building a future in which human needs are met in harmony with nature." I was going give a summary of what they are all about, but I thought this quote taken from their website says it best.
http://www.worldwildlife.org/home.html

★ ASPCA: The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
Stated by the founder, Henry Bergh, in 1866, is “to provide effective means for the prevention of cruelty to animals throughout the United States.”
http://www.aspca.org/

★ Make-a-Wish Foundation: Founded in 1980, this organization is committed to granting wishes to children with life threatening illnesses. So far, over 188,400 wishes granted.
http://www.wish.org/

★ or my local Cleveland Zoo: My local zoo that I go to many, many times through out the year. It's goofy I know, but I feel like the animals there are part of my family. I see them all the time. Anytime I see a zookeper, I try to stop them and ask questions about the animals. I know a lot of random info about them. My all time favorite animal that we have is the Pallas Cat. We have 2 of them, Natasha and Igor. They are native to Central Asia and were widely hunted for their furs. They pretty much just look like fat, grumpy house cats. Primarily, all they do is sleep and growl at people. They specifically hate my sister for some reason. But I can watch them for hours.
http://www.clemetzoo.com/

In in the next month or two, I will officially decide which one is going to be the designated charity.

In the month of January, I made 5 sales. So we've raised $5 for charity so far! Not great but it's a start. Plus if I can make at least 5 sales a month, $5 x 12 months = $60. That sounds better than $5.
My goal is to raise $100. I, truthfully, think we can do it! Though if I make a lot more than I expected, I think I might split the money between 2 organizations. Which would be great!

NEW Easter Bunny Girl

2010-01-27T17:37:00.000-08:00

Here is my Easter Bunny Girl Decorative Doll!
Her bunny ear headband is NOT detachable. I stitched it into the hair. She's carrying an basket with 3 Easter eggs in it.

She has a hand painted face and she stands approximately 11.25 inches (28.5 cms) tall. (12.5 inches/31.75 cms with ears.) She, like all my other creations, is handcrafted and made from my own patterns.
$1 from every item sold will be put in a fund and be donated to a charity at the end of 2010.

NEW Tree Fairy with Ladybug

2010-01-21T09:54:00.000-08:00

I'm very excited about this! This is my first item of a completely different style. This is the start of my Spring/Easter Dolls!
I call her Tree Fairy with Ladybug. I know it's kind of generic. Hopefully I'll come up with better names for them. There's going to be a whole line of them. Some will have butterfly wings, some will have birds and other forest critters. Others might just have flowers. I have a long list of ideas to try out.

She has a hand painted face and stands approximately 11.25 inches (28.5 cms) tall. She, like all my other creations, is handcrafted and made from my own patterns. This will be available in my Etsy shop later on tonight.

$1 from every item sold will be put in a fund and be donated to a charity at the end of 2010.

Cool Picture of the Month!

2010-01-18T13:55:00.000-08:00

I've decided I'm going to show off a picture every month that I think is really cool. It might be one of my own pictures, something I find in a magazine, etc. Anything that jumps out at me. So here is January's picture. I'm picking one of my own pictures to start with. And one of my favorites.

The background to this picture: Every Thanksgiving my Uncle takes a picture of his fireplace. I have no idea why he does it, he just does. I guess it's tradition or something. Well, a few years back he took his picture, developed it and this is what he got. I promise you, this picture is not altered in any way, shape, or form.

What do you think it looks like? Cool, huh?

NEW Lacey the Lovely Ladybug

2010-01-16T10:06:00.000-08:00

I guess I'm ready for Spring. Here's Lacey the Lovely Ladybug!
I decided to make something other than a cat this time, so I made a bug. She stands, with antenna, approximately 6.5 inches (16.5 cms) tall and measures approximately 10.5 inches (26.25 cms) around the belly.
Lacey the Lovely Ladybug, like all my other creations, is handcrafted and made from my own patterns. She is currently up in my Etsy shop.

$1 from every item sold will be put in a fund and be donated to a charity at the end of 2010.

Rufus and NEW Rerun the Happy Hippie Cat Brothers

2010-01-14T13:44:00.000-08:00

There's a new edition to the family, Rerun!

They are both laid-back, peace loving dudes. They're against conflict and feels that any problem can be solved through peace and tolerance. They accept everyone as they are and feels that is the way it always should be. They both stands approximately 5.25 inches (13.25 cms) tall and measures approximately 10.25 inches (26 cms) around the belly. Both are currently available in my Etsy shop.

Rufus and Rerun the Happy Hippie Cats, like all my other creations, are handcrafted and made from my own patterns.

$1 from every item sold will be put in a fund and be donated to a charity at the end of 2010.

NEW Betsy and Belinda the Fat Ballerina Cat Sisters

2010-01-12T16:19:00.000-08:00

Betsy has a new sister Belinda! Betsy is the black cat with a pink tutu and Belinda is the white one with a blue tutu. They both are currently in my Etsy shop.
Betsy is a fun spirited cat who loves nothing better than to twirl around all day. She loves playing with her dolls and painting colorful pictures. She stands approximately 5.5 inches (14 cms) tall and approximately 10.5 inches (26.75 cms) around the belly.
Betsy has a new little sister! Belinda is a very active cat. One could say very hyper, but she's very sweet and loving. Though she does tend to find her way into closets and drawers so she can play dress up with anything she can get her paws on. She might chew on them also. She loves to chase her sister and tail. Along with anything else that moves, so I suggest keeping your movements to a minimum. She stands approximately 5.5 inches (14 cms) tall and approximately 10.5 inches (26.75 cms) around the belly.

These items are handcrafted and made from my own patterns.

NEW! Franklin the Leopard Cat

2010-01-11T13:15:00.000-08:00

Franklin is a rather lazy cat. You can normally find him sleeping in a ray of sun. If you can't find him there, then he's in front of his food bowl eating everything down as fast as he can. He's quite affectionate and loving. He does tend to over eat at times, though.

Franklin the Leopard Cat is up in my Etsy shop. This is a different print from my other leopard cat. I can't seem to find that fabric anymore. So I have this one instead now. He stands approximately 5.5 inches (14 cms) tall and measures approximately 10.75 inches (27.25 cms) around the belly. This item is handcrafted and made from my own pattern.
I hope you like him!

Baxter the Tiger Cat is Back!

2010-01-10T17:24:00.000-08:00

Baxter is an energetic, full of life cat. He's sweet tempered, but can be quite wild at times. He loves running around, playing with anything he can find, and eating.

Baxter the Tiger Cat is back up in my Etsy shop. I sold him along with a couple other tiger cats at the craft fairs I went to a few months ago. But here is the newest one! He stands approximately 5.5 inches (14 cms) tall and measures approximately 10.25 inches (26 cms) around the belly.
This item is handcrafted and made from my own pattern.

Facebook Fan Page

2010-01-09T18:23:00.000-08:00

It's something I've been meaning to do for a while and I've finally did it. I made my Facebook fan page for Fat Cat Crafts. It isn't quite finished yet, but I got a good start on it. If anyone wants to be a fan of Fat Cat Crafts, go right ahead. I'll definitely appreciate it. I'll admit it, I don't quite get Facebook. I have a personal page and now a fan page for Fat Cat Crafts and I still feel like I don't quite know what I'm doing with it. If anyone's curious about my pages here you go!

Fat Cat Crafts Fan Page:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Fat-Cat-Crafts/275093115319

My personal page:
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?ref=name&id=1443816484#/profile.php?ref=name&id=1443816484

Too bad I don't think that was on my list of things to accomplish in January. I'll guess I'll just look at it as a bonus.

2010

2010-01-07T13:29:00.000-08:00

So 2009 ended kind of on a crappy note. I was laid off from my job on New Year's Eve (along with many other employees). I'm taking this as a sign that I'm supposted to be doing something better and I'm trying to stay optimistic that I will find something better. Hopefully very soon. Unfortunately the job situation is really bad in Ohio. Until I do, I guess I get some time to work on my Etsy site. Which is good because I've totally neglected it when I had to work 50+ hours a week at my job (the job that laid me off as soon as the holidays were over). Pretty shady if you ask me.

I also plan on lining myself up with many craft fairs as I can this year. Last year I went to 7 craft fairs during the fall and winter and the majority of them worked out very well. I think I now know what areas I sell better in and which ones to stay away from. I know that I sell a lot more Halloween items then Christmas. Now I want to see if my items will sell all year. I've already wrote out a list of all the new items that I want to make up for Easter and Spring/Summer.

The plan for the month of January goes as follow:
1. THOROUGHLY clean up my sewing room and organize all my fabrics and supplies.
2.Use up my $25 gift card at Joann's on some cool new fabric.
3. Make up my 2010 craft fair schedule.
4. Make up as many new items as I can and put them up on Etsy.
5. Make up as many items to take to my craft fairs.
6. Keep looking for a job and hope that I can find one.
7. Take a day and go sledding (Ohio has a LOT of snow right now).

Craft Fairs

2009-09-23T13:37:00.000-07:00

OK, I've completely neglected my blog and my Etsy website for a while. I've been working on all my craft fair items for the last couple of months. I have a big chunk of Halloween and fall , but I don't really have much Christmas made yet. But I guess that's what I'll be working on in November. I have a couple of new items that I've made up and I post pictures up soon. I'll probably be putting some up in my Etsy shop as well. As long as I can find my supplies. My local craft store hasn't been stocking their shelves as well as they used to. So I went to customer service to see if I could just order straight from the warehouse. Normally that's an easy thing to do, but of course the items that I want aren't really stocked there. They only had 6 in the warehouse and she couldn't even guarantee me those 6. And it doesn't look like the warehouse is going to stock those anytime soon. I don't know what kind of crazy craft warehouse this is that doesn't stock their items up. So now I get to use my imagination to build my own supplies.

So it looks like October is going to be a busy month for me. I have my 3 craft fair dates booked for October. I really need to pick my November and december ones though.

But I love October. Halloween is my absolute favorite holiday and I can't wait to get started on my costume. Originally I had planned on being done with it already, but I got behind. Of course. I better get cracking on it though. I need it for a party on October 24th. I have a month, plenty of time.

NEW Melissa the Proud Mommy Cat

2009-05-25T10:25:00.000-07:00

This item was inspired by my sister, Melissa, who became a mom on May 18. Yesterday I was over her house watching her hold her baby so lovingly (daddy did too) and I wanted to make a cat based off of her. I made the kitty brown because of her brown hair and eyes. The baby kitty is my cutie nephew Nolan James.

This kitty stand approximately 5.25 inches (13.25 cms) tall and is approximately 10 inches (25.25 cms) around the belly. The kitty is made of brown felt and is stuffed with 100% polyester fiberfill. She has a blue flower by her ear and a blue string collar with a silver bell. Her face is made from pins. The baby is made of light brown pom poms and has small blue beads for eyes. He is wrapped in a light blue blanket made from felt. (Or as my sister and brother-in-law put it, a baby burrito.)

Melissa the Proud Mommy Cat is made from my own patterns. She will be available in my Etsy shop later today! Also, keep an eye out for Danny the Proud Daddy Cat based off of my brother-in-law.

Baby Nolan James

2009-05-24T19:01:00.001-07:00

The cutie baby Nolan

The proud daddy

The proud, but tired mommy

I'm an auntie! My sister gave birth to a beautiful 9 pound 10 ounce baby boy on May 18, 2009 at 5:17 am. They named him Nolan James (James in remembrance of our late father). And she was able to stick to her original goal of a natural child birth. I truthfully have no idea how she managed to push a baby of that size out without any sort of help. I've never been more proud of my sister.

My sister Denise and I impatiently awaiting the arrival of our niece or nephew at the hospital (the sex of the baby was kept secret. Even the parents-to-be didn't know.)

Congratulations to the proud parents, Melissa and Danny! I know you're both going to make great parents. And I might be a little biased, but I think he's the cutest baby ever!

Happy parents Melissa and Danny

My mom holding her first grandchild with Danny's father

Me holding the very fussy baby at 6 days old.

I can't wait to see what the future hold for my sister, her husband, and this adorable baby! I wish you the best of luck, though I know that you three are going to do just fine.

Goodbye Penny

2009-05-22T18:15:00.001-07:00

I didn't have the heart to write two back to back posts about the death of our two animals. I've had enough time and now this is Penny's story. Penny died on May 4th.

We had Penny about 7 years. We aren't really sure how old she was when we got her. She definitely didn't look very young when we adopted her. About 7 years ago my mom decide that she wanted to adopt a dog. I went with her to the pound and she said that I wasn't going to be able to talk her into getting another beagle. (About 10 years before that we went to that same pound and I talked her into getting a beagle. I then learned that beagles aren't really the most intelligent or obedient of dogs. They sure are the sweetest, but they take a LOT of work. My mom knew that already, having had a couple of beagles growing up, but she got that dog anyway knowing that I wanted it.) Now back to Penny. I told my mom that if there was a beagle there we were going to get it. She said no. She walked in first, stopped, turned around and starting laughing. Low and behold the first dog she saw, front and center of all the cages, was a beagle. A very old, fat, excited beagle. We walked over to the cage feeling like we were repeating our steps from 17 years ago. This dog was the happiest, friendliest dog. We looked at all the other ones, but kept going back to her. She wasn't what I could say a pretty dog. But I think that's what really attracted as to her. My mom and I are both the same, we will adopt the ugliest, saddest looking animal because we don't think anyone else will. We told the employee that we wanted that dog and that we were curious of her history. The employee told us that a man walked in with what he said was a stray. Later he admitted that she was from a puppy mill and that they had no more use for her because she was old. After we heard that, there was no question that she was coming home with us. We put her on a leash and she bolted to the car as fast as her fat little legs could carry her.

We got her home and she couldn't be happier. She was enthusiastic about every little thing. We took her to the vet for her check up and the vet told us that she had just had a litter of puppy because she was full of milk. Other than that she was in good health.

When we got Penny she didn't know how to play. It was the weirdest thing, I've never seen a dog that didn't have an instinct to just pick up a toy and chew on it. She had no idea how to fetch or do anything playful. Though after time, she learned what to do. She started looking forward to her new favorite stuffed animal that she got every Christmas. We'd give it to her wrapped up in paper and watch her rip it apart to get to it. Though as sweet tempered as Penny was, she was 100 times worse than out last beagle. This was the most disobedient dog ever. And believe me we tried. Sadly, I think this dog was a few brain cells short of what she needed. The majority of families would have given her up after a few days. I know though, that she enjoyed her life here with us. The first part of her life was tough, but at least her second part wasn't. We did spoil her and a lot of the times we shouldn't have because she was so bad. But we really couldn't help ourselves. She just didn't seem to understand getting yelled at. After she did something bad, we'd scold her and she would think that we were calling her over to play. She just plain didn't get it.

Her health started failing her a couple of years ago. She had a thyroid problem and she started getting a lot of fatty tumors. We'd get them removed and they'd grow right back. A few months ago they turned cancerous. An operation was out of the question because of her ago and declining health. My mom was in the same situation I was in with spooky, to either put her to sleep or wait it out. She chose to wait it out. It was a very depressing couple of months in our house. We were waiting for two animals to die. We just kept hoping that it would be fast and painless. This dog never gave up though, she fought to the end. The vets kept saying what a trouper she was and that she doesn't seem to get distressed about her situation. They gave us pain meds and anti-inflammatory for her legs which kept swelling up. We had so many pills for our animals it was ridiculous. All of our older animals seemed to get sick at the same time: Penny, Spooky, and my mom's other older cat (who kind of seems OK now. With her, we just take one day at a time.)

One morning mom had let Penny outside, put some dishes in the sink, went back to check on Penny and she was laying at the bottom of the steps. We think she had a heart attack. Penny died on May 4th at 8:00am. Ironically that was the same day that I was to pick up Spooky's ashes. So we dropped off one animal and picked up the remains of another. I've got to say a big thank you to the vet's office that we kept visiting, Animal and Avian Medical Center in Brunswick, OH. They we so nice and understanding. They kept calling us to make sure we were OK. And when mom went to pick up Penny's remains, they presented her with a gift. They had made a cast of Penny's footprint with her name on it. You have no idea how much that meant to my mom and I.

Thank you Penny for being the first ugly dog that we saw. Thank you for all the great years that you gave us. I'm sorry that I yelled at you so much (mom is too). I bet you and our other beagle are joyfully playing somewhere together. I'm sure my dad is playing with the both of you too. I'm sorry that I don't have many pictures of you. Thank you to the mean puppy mill guy who was able to give you up some easily. Thank you for being the stupid, sweet, crazy dog that you were and we will never forget you. We will definitely have some stories to tell about you. We miss you and we hope that you are having fun where ever you are. Goodbye Penny.

NEW Captain Red-Tail

2009-05-17T15:18:00.000-07:00

Here's my newest item that I've created. Captain Red-Tail! He's a fearsome pirate who sailed the seas stealing fish and catnip. Though, while on one of his pillaging he got his tail stuck in a fire and it turned red. After that, he was know only as Captain Red-Tail.

He's made with brown felt (except for his red tail) and he has a tattered blue vest. He also a sword holder complete with a sword (made out of a straight pin, beads, and plastic cording). He lost his leg during a daring escape so now he bares a peg leg. He's never seen without his hat or pet bird. He stands approximately 6.5 inches (16.5 cms) and is approximately 10.5 inches (26.75 cms) around the belly.

Captain Red-Tail is made from my own patterns. He will be available in my Etsy shop later today! Also, keep an eye out for his trusty first mate Catnip Carl and his girlfriend Red-Pawed Jane!

Goodbye Spooky

2009-05-14T17:55:00.000-07:00

I'm finally ready to say goodbye to my sweet cat Spooky. She died April 25th. She was around 16 years old. I'm not sure how old she was because when I adopted her, they weren't sure of her age. She was in between 8 and 10. I had her for almost 7 years.

I adopted her from a Pet Smart in Elyria, OH. I still remember the first time I saw her. She was the cutest, fattest kitty I had ever seen. I fell in love with her the second I saw her. She was stuffed into a cage that was way to small for her large body. I sat next to her cage for a while and I knew I had to get this cat. I kept thinking, "How am I going to talk my mom into letting me get this cat?" Though, truthfully, I knew it wasn't going to be that hard. My mom is a huge animal lover and if I begged her enough she'd give in. As soon as I told her about the small cage and the fact that she was an older cat and that she had been there for a while and no one seemed to want her, I knew I had her. She gave me the OK. I raced back out there the next day and zoomed over towards her cage. I saw this kid poking at her through the bars. She didn't bite or scratch the kid, but she definitely wasn't happy. I was able to talk the kid away from the cage and I had my boyfriend guard her cage while I found an employee. They gave me all the papers that they had on her (which weren't many) and asked if I had a carrier for her (which I didn't). I was staying at my boyfriend's that weekend and buying a cat wasn't on the agenda. The employee was able to find me a large box and we put her in that. I remember as I was walking out of the store, the cat was meowing and an elderly lady asked me what cat I had bought. I told her I had bought the old, fat, black cat in the corner cat. She started beaming and said, "Oh, thank you! I thought no one was going buy that cat!" I walked out of the store, elated about my new cat. As soon as I got into the car, she managed to pop her head out of the box. I told her she had a new family to go home to.

When I adopted her she already had a name, Spooky. I wanted to change her name, but when I got home I saw that she responded to her name. She was hiding under a chair and I got down on the floor and softly called for her and she came running. Spooky was going to be keeping her name.

She adapted to her new home very well. We spoiled her and she loved it. She ate a lot. I'll admit, I probably fed her more that I should have but the vet never told me that I was overfeeding her. She sometimes played. As a whole, she was a pretty lazy cat. She loved sitting in your lap and being petted or laying in the sunbeam. She did like to play with a piece of string, though. That was all I could ever get her to play with. The next year, my boyfriend and I decided to get a kitten. Boy did Spooky hate her new sister at first, but after time she grew to like her. She started to act like a big sister should. She took care of her little sister and showed her how to do certain things. I remember one situation very clearly. The little kitten, Nina, had a terrible habit of kicking cat litter everywhere. She was always so frantic in the litter box. One time Spooky was standing next to Nina while she was throwing litter around and Spook got into her box (we had 2 litter boxes) and she started very slowly and cautiously pushing the litter around. Nina stopped throwing her litter around and started watching Spooky. After a few minutes, Nina started mimicking Spooky's movement all the while both are keeping eye contact with each other. Spooky then gets out of the box, without doing any business and leaves Nina to practice what she's learned. Spooky was very patient with her little sister and I'll tell you, Nina was a CRAZY kitten. I had never had a kitten before and I had no idea what I was in for. But Spook handled it very well. Don't get me wrong though, there were definitely times when Spooky beat up Nina (Nina did at times deserve it).

Then maybe around 2005 or 2006 Spooky got really sick and I had to take her to the emergency hospital. The vets weren't sure what was wrong with her, at first it was the liver then kidneys then the pancreas. Then it was determined that she officially diabetic. I was to give her insulin injections everyday. At first it was just 1 shot a day but then it made its was up to twice a day. I panicked when I first heard this. I couldn't believe I was going to have to give my cat a shot everyday of her life. That I was solely in charge of keeping her alive with these shots. I remember at the vet I asked if I could do a practice shot before I took her home. And I remember the dread that came over me when they were explaining how to do it. The syringe was filled with water and I remember thinking, "I can't do this. There is NO WAY I can do this!" I was just about to tell the doctors I couldn't do this when I woke up. I wasn't doing this for me, I was doing this to my cat. I was doing this to keep my cat that I loved alive. After that, I was able to do it. It was still extremely nerve raking and I did feel a little sick, but I did it and I did it for 3+ years. The shots got much easier the more I did them. I also had to pay close attention to her eating habits and to her temperament. Any little change could mean getting her back to the vet fast. But as a whole, as inconvenient and costly as if was, it was an easy way to keep her alive. I just had to change my schedule around her shots (she had to get them at the same time everyday) and pay attention to her demeanor. Ironically she didn't die from diabetes, she wasn't even diabetic at the time she died. Everything that I did to keep her alive: the injections, blood tests, and trips the doctors, and it still wasn't enough to save her.

About a month ago Spooky got sick and I took her to the vet. I assumed it was her insulin dose and that it needed to be upped again. She was showing all the signs that she normally did when she wasn't getting enough insulin. Vet said no her blood work is fine, it's an ear infection (which she gets all the time). She should be back to normal soon. Easy enough then, gave her the medicine, but she still wasn't getting better. I took her back many times and long story short, they found something wrong with her lungs. And without a biopsy they wouldn't know if it was cancer or an infection. And the vet said that if it was cancer or an infection, with her age and weakened state the medicine would kill her. I could either put her to sleep right then or wait it out and waiting it our shouldn't be too long. I chose to wait it out. My mom and I became like little nurses. I have to thank my mom for everything that she did for me and Spooky. I would not have been able to handle this situation without her support and help. We gave her pain medicine, force fed her food and water. At this point the vets told me stop giving her insulin because she didn't need it anymore, she was no longer a diabetic. For some reason, she had lost the use of her back legs, so I would pick her up and prop her on a board and brace her so she could use the litter box. We would also massage and move her legs when she was laying to try to keep the blood flowing. After some time she stopped being able to go bathroom and her breathing was getting more difficult. I knew the time was getting close that I had to make a decision. As terrible as it sounds, I am so happy that I never did have to make that decision to put her down. I told myself that the day she doesn't eat or purr at me when I walk over, then I know it's time. The day that happened, she passed on by herself. I didn't get to be with her when it happened, I was at work. My mom was with her so at least I have comfort knowing that she was with someone when it happened. My mom held her and told her that we loved her until she was gone. She took her last breath on April 25, 2009 at 2:50 pm. I had her cremated so she will always be with me.

Thank you Spooky for being the best cat I could ever have. Thank you for being so understanding to your sister, who misses you greatly. Thank you for rarely biting me when I gave you your shots. Thank you for being the model for my logo. Thank you for always knowing when I needed a companion on a bad day. I'm sorry I wasn't able to save you. I hope you had a wonderful life and that you loved me just as much as I loved you. Thank you to the family who gave Spooky up so that I could adopt her and spoil her rotten. I love you Spooky and I will never forget you. Goodbye.

New Betsy the Fat Ballerina Cat

2009-05-12T07:02:00.000-07:00

Here is my newest item that I've made! Betsy the Fat Ballerina Cat is a happy, fun loving cat that loves to dance. And she's looking for a good home!

This pincushion is made out of black felt and stands approximately 5.75 inches (14.75cms) tall and approximately 10.5 inches (26.75 cms) around the belly. Her pink tutu with glittery gold dots is made from scraps that I took from the bridal shop I work at (I think it's from an Alyce Designs prom dress). She has a pink collar and a pink flower by her ear. Her face is made from pins.

She will be available in my Etsy shop later tonight! Come check her out. I hope you like her and my other creations! Keep a look out for other fat ballerina cats.

Treasury

2009-05-11T20:10:00.000-07:00

Boy, I haven't written in my blog for a very long time. It's been a hard couple of months. Don't feel like getting into why right now. But on a happy note, one of my cat pincushions made it into a treasury on Etsy! Yea! It's an adorable treasury entitled, " Here Kitty, Kitty, Kitty! Come check it out, it's really cute!

http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=57335

The Cleveland Arthritis Walk

2009-04-13T05:39:00.000-07:00

I have just signed up to be a team leader in the Cleveland Arthritis Walk on May 2. The walk takes place at the Cleveland Zoo, one of my favorite places to be, so this walk is perfect for me. As of about a week or 2 ago, I decided to start taking really good care of my body. I got myself some vitamins and some Glucosamines. I bought myself a new knee wrap for my arthritis knee. I've been exercising and trying to eat better. Eating better is going to be the hardest part. I actually like exercising, but I hate having to eat vegetables and meat. I'm more of a pasty fan and it's really difficult for me to have to try to cut some of the sweets out of my diet.

So I saw a commercial about the Arthritis Walk on TV and thought that this was perfect timing. I signed up as a team leader which means if anyone is in the Cleveland area and would like to walk around the zoo, come join my team! My team name is Kathleen's Crew. Or if you're not a big fan of walking, but would like to donate to a great cause, that's wonderful too! All donations go to The Arthritis Foundation. If you're interested follow this link to my home page: http://2009clevelandarthritiswalk.kintera.org/faf/search/searchTeamPart.asp?ievent=288383&lis=1&kntae288383=92B45289267E4FBB89AD9F882EEC5CB2&team=3381991&tlteam=0 and if you like to join my team just click the "Join Our Team"link. It'll be fun!

Happy Easter

2009-04-12T06:02:00.001-07:00

I hope everyone has a great Easter and eats lots of candy!

Snowy Ohio in April

2009-04-09T16:39:00.000-07:00

Ok this post is a little late, but I still like it and wanted to put it up. We had a nice snow storm in Cleveland, OH on Tuesday April 7. My mom has a pair of ducks that always fly over after winter. As soon as spring arrives, they fly over here for the food. My mom's been feeding them for a few years. She managed to get a few shots of the poor confused female duck in the snow. I don't know where her mate is.

Cat Burglar Pincushion

2009-04-05T16:37:00.000-07:00

This is my new favorite item of mine. It's been on my to do list for a few months and I finally got it done!

Here's made out of white felt and then I stitched black lines onto him. I made him a black mask and a grey felt bag for his loot. I drew a fishbone into the bag with fabric paint. He is stuffed with 100% polyester fiberfill and he stands approximately 6 inches (15.25 cms)tall and measures approximately 11 inches (28 cms) around the belly.

He is made from my own pattern and he is currently available in my Etsy shop!

Recap of March

2009-04-05T14:45:00.000-07:00

Ok this recap is a little late, but oh well. March was a busy month, though not because of my Etsy shop. We had my sister's baby shower this month (she's now due in a month!!) and my other sister had her birthday. I made my sister's birthday present and my mom and I did all the decorations, favors and food for the shower. And I got sick for a few weeks so that definitely didn't help.

And because of all my other projects, my Etsy shop took a hit. I didn't have much time to promote or make new items, therefore I didn't sell any items in the month of March. I did manage to make it into 4 treasuries which is pretty cool!

So my main goal for April is to learn better time management skills!! I am in the process of making a bunch of new items and I plan on doing some online advertising. And on a personal note, I'm thinking of going back to school. Which is pretty scary, but it'll be worth it in the long run. I'm just not sure what I want to go back for. I've narrowed it down to 3 fields (all of which are completely different). So I have some big decisions to make, but I'll figure it out!

Cheshire Cat Pincushion

2009-03-31T13:06:00.000-07:00

I just made this pincushion up today and I love him! I made this Cheshire Cat out of fuchsia, purple, pink, and white felt. The body and head are made out of fuchsia felt and then I hand stitched purple stripes onto the body. I added a pink piece onto the face and added a white mouth on top of that along with 2 small white circles for the eyes. The tail is made out of pink felt and then I stitched purple and fuschia stripes to that. The feet are made from pink pom poms. He is stuffed with 100% polyester fiberfill. He stands approximately 6.25 inches tall and is approximately 10.5 inches around the belly.

I based this pincushion off of the Disney version of Alice and Wonderland, but I'm also coming up with one based off the description and drawings in the book. This item will be available in my Etsy shop later tonight!

I'm 27 Today!

2009-03-30T08:42:00.000-07:00

So, today is my birthday. I turned 27 today. Not too happy about that, but oh well there's nothing that can be done about it. My mom got me some quilling starter kits, which I'm really excited to get started on. I've wanted to learn how to do quilling for so long, hopefully I won't be too terrible at it! For those of you that don't know what it is, quilling is taking thin strips of paper and rolling it into circles to form different shapes. Though I'm not going to be able to work on that for another month or so. I have many new items that I want to add to my Etsy shop before I get started on a new hobby. I didn't get to dedicate as much time this month to my shop as I would have liked because of my sister's baby shower. So now I have to make up for that in the month of April. So in May I will start learning to quill.

What else do I want to accomplish at 27? I want to get back into really good physical shape,
I know that. And I want to get another tattoo, but I'm not allowed to get that until I make 75 sale on Etsy. So depending on how good sales are, maybe I'll get my tattoo at 27. I want to start taking swing dancing lessons. That's a big must do, I've always wanted to learn to dance! I guess that's it for now, we'll see what else I come up with.

Happy Birthday to anyone else who also has this birthday!
I love this picture. I have no idea how old I am. I'm the one on the left and my sister Melissa (the now pregnant one) is on the right. My mom used to decorate our cakes herself.

New Easter Items!

2009-03-24T15:32:00.000-07:00

I've made up 2 more items to add to my Etsy shop! First is my Easter Chick Surprise Box:

The little chick is made up of various sizes of pom poms and the beak and feet are made of orange felt. he stands approximately 2.25 inches tall and 2 inches wide. The box is a paper mache box that I covered in lime green and purple felt. The top, sides, and bottom is lime green and the inside is purple. I also stitched on purple polka dots to the top to make it look more like an Easter egg. Though I do think that it kind of looks like a dinosaur egg. Not that I mind that because I love dinosaurs!

My Easter Chick Surprise Box is currently available in my Etsy shop.

Next is my Yellow Easter Chick Cat Pincushion with pins:

I love this one so much!! He's quirky and cute at the same time. He puts a smile on my face. The chicken parts are made out of yellow felt, except for the feet which are made of orange felt, and the cat parts are made out of grey felt. He has a fake lace up make out of orange embroidery floss. He stand approximately 6.25 inches tall and is approximately 10.75 inches around the belly.

He will be available in my Etsy shop later tonight.

Pink Easter Bunny Cat Pincushion with pins

2009-03-23T18:20:00.000-07:00

Now that my sister's baby shower is done, I finally have some time to dedicate to my Etsy shop. Here is my newest! I love him! I kept think about those funny Cadbury egg commercials, where all the animals are dressed up like the Easter bunny. I love that commercial!

So here he is. The majority of all my pincushions are hand sewn. The cat parts are made out of black felt and the bunny parts are made out of pink felt. He has pink bunny ears from the front, but from the back you will also see his black ears poking out. There is a pink pom pom for the bunny tail and the black cat tail is sticking out from below that. There is a fake lace-up that I stitched in the center of the suit, just to make it look more like he's wearing a bunny outfit. He stands approximately 6.5 inches tall and is approximately 10.5 inches around the belly. He is stuffed with 100% polyester fiberfill.

He is currently available in my Etsy shop! I hope you like him!

Colorful Easter Egg Fabric Garland

2009-03-17T19:34:00.000-07:00

Well I made it through my sister's baby shower (I'll put up some pictures soon!) so I finally have some time to make some new items. Here is my newest!

I made this egg garland out of felt. Each egg has a different design which I hand stitched on. The garland stretches approximately 36.5 inches (92.75 cms) long. The item is available in my Etsy shop.

Treasury West

2009-03-09T19:05:00.000-07:00

I made it into another treasury on Etsy! This one is a Treasury West. Quite truthfully, I didn't know that there was a difference between Treasury and Treasury West. Well, now I do!

This great treasury was made by CaboDesigns and is titled "Stripes! Stripes! and More Stripe". My Zebra Cat Pincushion, again, was one of the items featured. That pincushion seems to be popular right now!

Here's the link too, though it expires very early Wednesday morning:

http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list_west.php?room_id=46173

Stuffed Turquoise and Purple Cat

2009-03-08T18:46:00.001-07:00

Here is new newest item! She stands approximately 9.5 inches tall and 6.5 inches wide and is stuffed with polyester fiberfill. Her head, arms, legs, and tail are made out of a light turquoise cotton fabric and her dress is made out of a purple and light turquoise cotton print. She collar is made out of a light blue lace at the bottom of her dress is a light purple lace trim. She also has a magenta colored rose on the side of her head.

She is available in my Etsy shop!

I Made it into a Treasury!!

2009-03-05T17:30:00.000-08:00

I made it into a treasury on Etsy! I'm so excited!! My Zebra Cat Pincushion made it in!

Thank you JustaLittleBit for thinking of me!! Here's a link to her wonderful Etsy shop:
http://www.justalittlebit.etsy.com/

This is my second one that I was in, though I never saw the first one because I was out of town when it was up. So this is the first one that I get to see myself in! And I love the title: My Sweet (Felty) Kitty. How cute is that?

Here's the link also. It will be running until Sunday:
http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=44143

Baby Shower Centerpiece

2009-03-04T17:38:00.000-08:00

Alright here is the centerpiece that's going to be on the gift table at my sister's baby shower. It's a much larger version of the guest table centerpieces. It's made pretty much the same way. We took larger Styrofoam blocks and painted them to look like baby blocks. We decorated a large lace umbrella with ribbons and made a bow and dangled colorful plastic pacifiers off of the ends. Then we stuck the umbrella into the blocks and secured it with a lot of glue.

Here's a close up of the top of the umbrella and the pacifiers.

Here's a close up of the rocking horse, stork and baby. My mom insisted on having the Kewpie doll up there and I wanted a stork. We decided to put both up there. You have no idea how difficult it is to find a stork figurine! This is the best one we could find.
And a close up of the cute monkey that goes with her crib set.

Zebra Cat Pincushion with pins

2009-03-03T12:51:00.000-08:00

We'll here's the last of my animal print pincushions. (Unless I can find different fabrics. Which I hope I can!) This one is my Zebra Cat Pincushion. I love him just as much as my first 2! He reminds me of a cat burglar. I made him out of a zebra stripe felt print and I sewed a circular piece of white felt onto the face. The majority of this pincushion was hand sewn. I used pins to make up his face and his feet are made of white pom poms. I then stuffed him with polyester fiberfill. He stands approximately 5.25 inches tall and measures approximately 11 inches around the belly.

I've already posted him in my Etsy shop. I hope you like him!!

100 Hearts

2009-03-02T10:58:00.000-08:00

I just checked my Etsy shop and I've just received 100 hearts! My goal was to reach 100 hearts by the end of February. I missed it by 2 days. Oh well I'm proud of myself anyways!

Recap of February

2009-03-01T15:40:00.000-08:00

Another month over. February was more successful than January. I exceeded my monthly sales goal on Etsy. I added a few new items and I am currently working on some more items. I would like to add one new item onto my Etsy shop weekly and have roughly 50 items in my shop at all times. So I have a lot more items to make. I better get cracking! I did my first international shipping (immediately followed by my second). International shipping isn't as scary as I thought it was going to be. All I had to do was add a custom form and that was it. Very simple. Hopefully March will be even more successful than February.

As for my personal life, I've pretty much just been working on my sister's baby shower and my other sister's birthday present. They both will be over in 2 weeks and I can hopefully go back to having a life. Or having more time to focus on my crafting business.

So all in all February was a good month. I got a lot accomplished, but there's still much more that needs to be done! I have high hopes for March, it's my birthday month. I'll be 27 in a few weeks. Truthfully though, I'm not looking forward to being closer to 30. But oh well, what can I do? Just start using a lot of night cream, right?

Tiger Cat Pincushion with pins

2009-02-24T14:49:00.000-08:00

Here's the second of my animal print pincushions. This one is my Tiger Cat Pincushion. I love him just as much as my Leopard Cat Pincushion! I made him out of a tiger stripe felt print and I sewed a circular piece of black felt onto the face. The majority of this pincushion was hand sewn. I used pins to make up his face and his feet are made of black pom poms. I then stuffed him with polyester fiberfill. He stands approximately 5 inches tall and measures approximately 10.5 inches around the belly.

I have already put him up in my Etsy shop. The Leopard Cat Pincushion has already sold, but I still have a zebra print that I'm going to use to make another pincushion cat. I do plan on making some more leopard print pincushions also. I hope that he makes you smile!

Ideas For My Sister's Baby Shower

2009-02-22T11:31:00.001-08:00

I'm so thrilled to be throwing my sister's baby shower! I'm the youngest of 3 girls and my middle sister is having the first baby in the family! I finally get to be an auntie!! Her shower is in a few weeks and my mom an I are frantically trying to get the majority of it done now. We are making all the centerpieces and the guest favors. So here's what I got so far. I hope my sister doesn't read this! Melissa if you're on this site, don't look at this!!

These are going to be the centerpieces on the guest tables. She doesn't know if the baby is going to be a boy or girl so we are alternating between pink and blue umbrellas. These were actually quite simple to make. Very time consuming though. The square is Styrofoam that we painted and decorated to look like a nursery block. The letters spell out baby. We then put small furry bears and blocks onto of it. We inserted a small umbrella into the block and hung small plastic rocking horses, teddy bears, and pacifiers on the ends. All the supplies were bought at a basic craft store.

Here's a close up of a rocking horse, furry teddy bear, and small blocks.

These are going to be the guest favors. We started out by cutting out thin double sided tape in the shapes of teddy bears and carriages. (We used a small cookie cutter and traced the shape.) We then stuck the tape onto glass candle holders and rolled in glitter. Now all we have to do is fill small bags with candy, tie them up with pretty ribbon, add a silver stork charm and a thank you tag. This is a very simple and inexpensive way to make decorative favors. You can use whatever shape and color to fit the theme of your party!

Here's a close up of the purple carriage and teddy bear.

I can't wait for the shower! We still have some more work to do though. We plan on making a much larger version of the umbrella to go on the gift table. And we have to figure out a menu.
Still much more to do but it's going to be fun doing it! I'll take much better pictures of the shower and share those here!

Leopard Cat Pincushion with pins

2009-02-19T17:54:00.000-08:00

Here is my newest item that I've made! He's a Leopard Cat Pincushion. I love him!
I made him out of a leopard felt print and I sewed a circular piece of brown felt onto the face. The majority of this pincushion was hand sewn. I used pins to make up his face and his feet are brown pom poms. I then stuffed him with polyester fiberfill. He stands approximately 5 inches tall and measures approximately 10.5 inches around the belly.

I've put him up on my Etsy store tonight. I also have tiger and zebra print felt that I haven't used yet. I can't wait to see how those turn out! I hope you like him!

Happy Valentine's Day

2009-02-14T08:45:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day to everyone!

Here's me and my boyfriend at my sister's wedding. It doesn't look like he likes me too much.

Here's a better one of us at Halloween 2007. I made my costume (I'm Mulan from disney's Mulan). He's not wearing his costume.

And here was our first Halloween together back in 2001. I was Belial from the manga Angel Sanctuary and he was Edward Scissorhands. Apparently I don't have too many pictures of us together outside of Halloween. Oh well, Halloween is the best day!

Hope everyone has a great Valentine's Day!

New Easter Items!

2009-02-12T16:41:00.000-08:00

I've been working on some new items for Easter and here are 2 more items that I finished!

Here is my Easter Chick Surprise Box:

The chick is made out of various sizes of yellow pom poms. His feet and beak are made out of orange felt and his eyes are small black beads. He stand approximately 2.25 inches tall.

His box is made of paper mache that I covered in felt. The outside is yellow and the inside is light blue. The top of the box is decorated like an Easter egg with light blue lines on it. The box measures approximately 3.5 inches long, 2.5 inches wide, and 1.5 inches deep.

My Easter Chick Surprise Box will be available in my Etsy shop February 17, 2009

Next is my Easter Egg Wreath:

This wreath is approximately 10 inches in diameter. I started out with a wire frame and glued green decorative Easter grass onto it. I then added 12 colorful Easter eggs onto that. There are 6 egg colors: yellow, blue, light purple, green, pink, and purple (the wreath contains 2 of each color).

This Easter Egg Wreath will be available in my Etsy shop February 18, 2009

Movies That Will Always Make Me Cry

2009-02-10T15:02:00.000-08:00

There are certain movies that no matter how many times I watch them, I will cry at the ending. I don't cry very often but for some reason these 6 movies bring on the water works every time. This is my list of top tearjearkers (for me at least).

PLEASE NOTE THERE COULD BE SPOILERS IN HERE IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THE MOVIES!!!

6. The Land Before Time (1988) I'll but this one first because it is somewhat embarrassing. I really have no idea why I cry at the end of a cartoon about 5 baby dinosaurs trying to find "the great valley" but I do.

5. Apollo 13 (1995) I love this movie! I've seen it a million times. It's one of those movies that is on TV all the time, and I watch it every time it's on. This movie is so well made and I love Bill Paxton. This incident amazes me. Everything that these 3 men went through and the thousands of people working to bring them home safely when it seemed hopeless. I love it, truly inspirational. Even though I've seen this movie so many times, I'm on edge the entire time. Especially when NASA is waiting in silence to see if the heat shield survived. And then I start crying when the room erupts in cheers as they see that the men survived. And I love the line "With all due respect, sir, I believe this is gonna be our finest hour." That line is delivered after the NASA director is talking about this being the worst disaster NASA's ever faced. One of the best feel good movies out there!

4. Field of Dreams (1989) As unrealistic and goofy as this movie is, I still love it. My father died when I was 19, so this movie hits me hard. I start bawling at the end when he discovers that it's his father and they get to play catch. And it has the great line "What are you grinning at, you ghost?" I love that line!

3. The Notebook (2004) This movie is truly heartbreaking. Alzheimer's is one of my two biggest fears (drowning is the other one) and this movie brings out that fear full force. There is no holding back tears during the devastating ending. Though if you haven't seen the movie, don't let my view of the ending hold you back. It is a wonderful movie. Beautifully acted and directed. Probably in my top 25 greatest movies!

2. It's a Wonderful Life (1946) This is one of the best movies ever made! If you are one of the few who haven't seen it, go see it! I start bailing when he discovers his brother's tombstone, when he's begging to live again, and during the famous line "Everytime a bell rings an angel gets his wings." Probably THE best feel good movie out there.

1. The Color Purple (1985) This by far is my biggest crying movie. I think I cry during this entire film. I'm not even going to go into specifics with this movie because I really do cry during the entire film. This has one of the best ending ever. Make sure you have plenty of tissues when you watch this film.

There is my list of the biggest tearjearkers, feel free to add any of your favorites! This was fun, I love movie talk. I think I'm going to do my favorite movie lists for other categories, too. If you enjoyed this one, make sure to keep an eye out for more to come!

Recap of January

2009-02-07T17:41:00.000-08:00

So, February is here already. I haven't written anything in a while, so I decided to recap what happened in January in regards to my crafting business. I think I'm going to do this at the beginning of each month to keep myself on track. January was very slow, selling wise, so I took that time and worked on changing my shop for the better. I've finally discovered how to take good pictures of my products. So I spent a lot of time retaking every picture and putting them up online. Which seemed to work because I made a sale the very same day that I put up the better pictures! Proof that professional looking pictures are the key to sales! I still need to retake some of the pictures and make a new banner. I also started working on my Easter products. I have some patterns made, but only one real item completed. (See "Easter Chick in an Egg Pincushion" post if you want to see that one item.) I need to start working harder on those items. I should be able to get a few more completed by next week. I like the way my shop is heading. It's definitely more professional looking and hopefully that will help me to make my shop a success. There's still much more to do, but it's getting there. I'm optimistic of what February has to bring!

Snowy Ohio Part 2

2009-01-29T13:52:00.000-08:00

So Cleveland, Ohio did get hit again on Wednesday (1-28-09). Here are some of the pictures that I took today. The snow in the yard is now over a foot. And we're supposed to get some more tonight. Yea! How's everybody else's winter this year?

Here's the neighbor's fire hydrant.

Here's some shots of me trying to dig out my car. Check out the mailboxes behind me!

Oh boy do I love Ohio!!

Easter Chick in an Egg Pincushion

2009-01-28T15:26:00.000-08:00

I've started working on creating my Easter items. And I'm very pleased how my first one came out. This is my Easter Chick in an Egg Pincushion. She's made of yellow felt for the body and head and orange felt for the beak and feet. She has a lavender flower attached to the side of her head and a lavender string collar around the neck. Her eyes are black ballpoint pins. Her white egg is not attached to the body, so she can easily come out of it. She stands approximately 6 inches tall and 11 inches around the belly. The wings might be getting changed. I'm thinking about changing them so that there will be multiple pieces joined together. Like how the tail is put together. If anyone has opinions, feel free to share them!

I'm also working on a cat in an Easter bunny costume pincushion. Again, the bunny suit would be detachable. I'm not quite done with that pattern yet, but I will be soon!

My Chick in an Egg Pincushion will be available on my Etsy shop February 16, 2009.

Snowy Ohio

2009-01-26T18:42:00.000-08:00

I live in Ohio and this terrible weather is not helping to motivate me. And I can't seem to get over this cold or sinus infection or whatever sickness I've had for the past few weeks. I'm seriously thinking of moving someplace warmer. It's been bitterly cold this winter. A lot colder than I remember from the last few years. This year winter started in November when normally it starts in January. I think it was 13 degrees today and we are in another winter storm watch for tomorrow. I have no idea how cold or snowy it's going to get, but I'm really getting sick of this weather. Time to start researching life in California! Or Florida. I always wanted to work at Disney World! Plus I think that I need a change of environment. I feel that there's not much going for Ohio. I'm not completely happy with any aspect of my life at this point, so maybe a change is really what I need.

Poor Clara

2009-01-20T20:40:00.000-08:00

I was going through my pictures and came across this one of my mom's cat Clara. This poor cat just can't seem to ever take a good picture. But she really is the sweetest thing. And then I think about what would have happened to her if my mom didn't adopt her.

This is Clara's story: We don't know much about her history except that it wasn't a good one. This poor thing was almost put to sleep 3 times! We're not really sure why. She definitely isn't the prettiest of cats, in fact she kind of looks like a gremlin, but that's no reason to put her down. We do know that she was at the pound and no one was taking her, so they were going to put her down. Somehow she ended up at another pound, where someone adopted her and brought her right back. So that pound was going to put her down. A grooming place heard about her and said that they also sell cats at their business, so they'll take her and try to adopt her out. I guess she was there for over a year and no one wanted her, so they were going to put her down. My sister found this out and told my mom, knowing my mom would never let that happen. So my mom adopted her and she's been with us ever since. Yes, it took her awhile to learn to play and to understand what being petted was. And she'll sit in a corner and stare at the wall for a half an hour. And she really doesn't know how to meow, all that comes out is this really weird low pitched sound. I can't even figure out how to describe this odd sound. And I swear, I've heard her "woof" before. But she's lived in a cage for the majority of her life. But now, at the present time, we can get her off our laps or to stop following us around the house. So Clara's story ends on a happy note, but I still think of all the other animals that are put down when all they need is a chance. So next time you look at an ugly cat, just think of Clara and about how she just needed a home with a loving family!

For My Mom

2009-01-17T18:06:00.000-08:00

I always make my mom a present for Valentine's and Mother's Day. The item usually consists of her favorite animals: cats, squirrels, or birds, though she loves just about every animal. My mom will sit for hours watching outside with her binoculars and her trusty bird book alongside her. Nothing gives her more joy than to see a bird that she doesn't recognize. She's then determined to figure out what kind of bird it is. In the winter we get a limited variety of birds, mainly sparrows and doves. In the spring we get just about every kind imaginable. She gets very impatient waiting for the birds to arrive so this year spring is going to come a little early! She's getting a bird tree for Valentine's Day this year!

I bought tree branches, birds, eggs, and nests at a craft store and made a tree filled with bird families. I found a vase and put some floral foam inside of it and pretty much just started stuffing it with the branches. I chose the branches with the yellow flowers because they reminded me of the two forsythia bushes that are in my mom's front yard. Those bushes are always loaded with chirping birds. I then grouped adult and baby birds together, along with eggs and nests. Lastly, I just filled the vase with grass to cover the foam and put in some flowers I had. I wanted the tree to look pretty wild and to take up a big space. And I think I accomplished that. Let's just hope that she likes it! I'll let you know!

(Don't mind the mess in this picture! I didn't clean up the room!)

And now I just have to figure out how this is going to fit in my car to take to her house!

A New Year

2009-01-14T17:22:00.000-08:00

The year 2009 has finally arrived. A new year is before us. And with this new year brings many possibilities. I, for one, am glad that we are into a new year. With a new year, is a fresh start. I have a long list of tasks to accomplish and I plan on completing them all this year. For many years I've wanted to try my hand at a crafting business and August of 2008, I put my first item up for sale. One day my crafting business will be my full time career. This year, I'm going to get one step closer to making my dream a reality. Yes, I have a long, hard road ahead of me but I'm up for the challenge. I don't know what lies ahead of me in 2009. But I can't wait to find out! Feel free to follow in my journey. Wish me luck!